What is a Doula?

A doula:

• Recognizes birth as a transformational experience that the mother will remember throughout her life
• Accompanies a woman in labor, mothers the mother, taking care of her needs throughout childbirth  
• Helps mother formulate and preserve a birth plan
• Helps ensure a safe and satisfying birth experience.
• Facilitates and improves communication between the mother, her partner and healthcare providers
• Communicates with staff to make sure the mother has the information she needs to make informed decisions as they rise in labor
• Makes suggestions for labor progress, and helps with relaxation, massage, positioning and other techniques for comfort
• Nurtures and protects the woman’s memory of her birth experience
• Formulate a postpartum plan for meals, household responsibilities, support network and other concerns
• Breastfeeding assistance
• We do not try to push our own agenda, but support a mother's wishes and choices, without judgment
• We work for you, not a healthcare provider or a hospital.

We need to get the information out there, babies are dying, women are crying and doctors are lying.  ~ Penny Groner

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