Why Should I Hire a Doula? Won’t My Partner, My Doctor, and the Nurses Help Me with Anything I Need?

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Doulas can help you in ways no one else can! Your partner may be a fantastic source of support, as the two of you share a special bond as you become parents together. But partners have their own journey to parenthood, and it can be a heavy load to provide support during labor as well as manage their own inner questions and experience. Doulas can help by providing practical support for partners, to allow them a few minutes’ break every now and again to rest, eat, and regroup. Many partners also appreciate having an experienced supporter present who can reassure them about what is happening, and offer tips and demonstrations of comfort techniques. With a doula present, many partners actually feel more confident about their role at the birth and are able to be more active.

Your doctor or midwife will also play a key role in supporting you. In hospital births, doctors and midwives are usually only able to check on you only briefly from time to time throughout your labor, and cannot provide support in your home in the early stages. A doula can!

Nurses are able to stay with you for longer periods, once you are in hospital, but with shift changes, paperwork, and many other women to care for at once, they can’t always give you undivided attention. A doula can!

What all this means for you is that doulas are part of a whole team where each member has a special role to play in supporting you for your birth.

Posted in: Sacred Work Doula FAQ’s