What is a Doula?

“A [person] who helps other [people]…a [person] experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the [birthing person] before, during, and after childbirth.”
— The Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth Marshall H. Klaus, MD, John H. Kennell, MD, and Phyllis H. Klaus, MFT, LMSW

A doula is a source of physical and emotional support, comfort, and education for a birthing person transitioning into parenthood, or moving through a birthing experience for another person or family. Education is provided in order to help parents and birthing people make informed decisions for themselves and their baby in pregnancy, birth, and through the postpartum period.

A doula can also be a source of emotional support and comfort, as well as education and resources for a person moving through or seeking to move through an abortion experience.

In birth - a doula provides continuous support, and holds the space. Doulas do not perform medical tasks, such as: cervical checks, checking heart rates, distributing or dosing medication, catching babies, etc. They do provide judgement-free emotional support, and informational or educational support based on their training and prior experience. They also provide physical support and comfort measures, such as: counter pressure, acupressure, massage, breathing guidance for relaxation, and other techniques.

The incidence of complications has been shown to be substantially decreased with the presence of a doula.

A doula supported birthing person is:

  • 30% less likely to use synthetic oxytocin to start or speed up labor

  • 50% less likely to have a cesarean section

  • 12% more likely to have a spontaneous vaginal birth

  • 60% less likely to request epidural anesthesia

  • 30% less likely to request any pain medication

  • 40% less likely to have a forceps delivery

  • 14% less likely to have a newborn admitted to the special care nursery

  • 34% less likely to rate their childbirth experience negatively

as well as:

  • 25% decrease in the length of labor

  • Greater breastfeeding success

  • An overall reduction in medical costs

A postpartum doula provides much of the same support, but in the aftermath. Emotional support is provided. Physical support is provided, but more in way of actual physical duties - this gives the new mother much needed time to rest and bond with her new baby. Education is provided to help mothers embark on their new journey confidently, equipped with the knowledge to help see them through.

An abortion doula would be a source of support as you forge your way through the experience - someone to offer resources and information, and also to provide emotional support to the extent that it need not be referred out to a mental health professional, at which point referrals can be made available. The support of an abortion doula can be before, leading up to, during, and for a set time after the abortion is completed.