what do Doulas do? Health News

by Madeline Palaszewski

Congratulations, you’re pregnant! This is happy news for women wanting a family, but it can be a stressful time. The journey of pregnancy and childbirth may be a healthier and happier one with the help of a doula. A doula is a person who assists a mother through labor and delivery by providing physical and emotional support and information. A doula acts as an advocate for mothers and empowers them to take control of the birthing process.

The origin of doulas can be traced back to ancient Greece, where women supported each other during childbirth. Doula services gained popularity in the 1970’s and have grown into a large network of trained professionals serving communities throughout the world. Doulas will nurture, support and offer expert guidance for families during pregnancy, birth and the early postpartum time. There is evidence that shows how birth doulas improve outcomes. According to a study conducted by eClinical Medicine, part of The Lancet, women who received doula care had a 52.9% lower odds of cesarean delivery and 57.5% lower odds of postpartum depression. A professional certified birth doula is trained in five competencies: physiology of childbirth; common interventions and evidence based care; comfort measures for childbirth; breastfeeding and communicating with medical care providers. Doulas can also be trained to provide postpartum care. It’s now easier to access doula services in California. At the beginning of 2023, the Department of Health Care Services, added doula services as a covered benefit under its Medi-Cal program.