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Do I *Really* Need a Birth Doula?

Dr. Olivia Chubey, ND

Yes!

And no. And Maybe.

It depends. On a lot of factors. Let’s break this down in an easy way. Take a few minutes and ask yourself the following questions:


  1. What is important to you in your birth experience?
  2. Do you have a birth companion?
  3. What kind of support do you expect from your birth companion?
  4. Are they capable of giving your that support?
  5. Do they have the tools and knowledge to support you?

If you answered YES to #2 but NO to #4 and #5.  

You *might* be able to get away without a doula if you take a prenatal class that focuses on educating you and your birth companion on coping techniques, how to use them in labour, and common interventions – for example our Confident Birth Program.  You may find that your birth companion may be enough, armed with the information they have learned to help you with your answer in #1. 

If you answered YES to #2, #4, #5 you may decide to still work with a doula for one of the following reasons: 

  • I understand that my labour may be longer, and I value the idea of my partner being able to rest so that they may help me more after baby is born. 
  • My partner feels anxiety regarding whether they can be whatever I need them to be/remember it all etc, so it would be good to have knowledgeable and comforting help in addition. 

(*Research has shown that the most positive birth experiences for fathers were ones where they had continuous support by a doula or a midwife.)

  • I know that statistics show that moms have better birth experiences and less medical interventions when a doula is present

(*Although continuous support can also be offered by birth partners, midwives, nurses, or even some physicians, research has shown that with some outcomes, doulas have a stronger effect than other types of support persons.)

  • I desire a low-intervention and/or no-intervention labour and understand the skill set and assistance a birth doula provides can support those goals even further then I can alone, or solely with my birth companion. 
  • I experience anxiety with hospitals, medical equipment, etc.
  • I understand a birth doula may have other areas of help and support that they can share with me to smooth my transition into parenthood. (For example, Lactation Support)
  • I feel birth is more than just a biological event, and would like to work with someone who treats it more holistically. 

If you answered NO to #2, I would highly recommend a doula. 

If this has piqued your interest or you’d like some more questions answered, you can book a complimentary Meet & Greet with a doula from our collective today! We’ll spend about 15 minutes with you in a video chat to answer you personal questions and help you decide if we’re the right match to support you in your birth!

Dr. Olivia Chubey, ND

*Evidence Based Birth, “Evidence on: Doulas”, May 4, 2010, Rebecca Dekker, PhD, RN.

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