Doulas offer invaluable experience, and childbirth educators add more evidence-based knowledge. Birth doulas are uniquely positioned to support families throughout pregnancy and labor. Our strength lies in emotional support, physical comfort measures, advocacy, and presence. As doulas, we learn through hands-on experience. We support labor as it unfolds in real time. However, many doulas reach […]
Building Confidence in Birth Education: What Childbirth Educators Need to Know
As childbirth educators and doulas, we hope to help parents have positive birth experiences. While we’ve often seen this anecdotally, we now have studies backing what we’ve seen in birth education. Confidence and positivity around childbirth can often improve birth experiences. Recent findings highlight that when pregnant people feel confident in their ability to give […]
A Lack of Confidence About Birth Is Associated With Birth Trauma
As a doula, one of the most important things we do is help parents prepare for birth. A new study found a lack of confidence about birth is associated with perception of childbirth as traumatic. This seems to be more evidence that the role of a doula could reduce the likelihood of birth trauma. How? […]
How Birth Doulas Help Experienced Moms
When people think about hiring a birth doula, they often imagine a first-time parent looking for extra education and support. However, doulas aren’t just for first births. Birth doulas help experienced moms in many ways. Even parents who have given birth before benefit from the emotional, physical, and educational support a doula provides. Every birth […]
Ohio Senate Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Expand Medicaid Doula Access
The awareness of how doulas improve birth outcomes continues to grow. This fall, the Ohio Senate announced a bipartisan effort to expand access to doula care. The bill would enable Medicaid reimbursement for doula services. The bill, introduced by Senators Paula Hicks-Hudson (D) and Michele Reynolds (R), aims to improve maternal and infant health outcomes […]
Unassisted Birth and Doulas
Unassisted birth and doulas is not without risk to all involved. Unassisted birth, sometimes referred to as freebirth or unattended birth, refers to a planned birth that takes place without a qualified birth attendant present. While doulas are birth experts, doulas are non-clinical. A qualified birth attendant refers to a properly trained midwife, obstetrician, or […]