El Dorado County Birth Professionals Collective
What is a Birth Doula?
A doula is a trained professional, skilled in providing continuous emotional, physical, and informational support throughout the childbearing year. According to Evidence-Based Birth, women with continuous labor support experienced:
- 31% decrease in the use of Pitocin*
- 28% decrease in the risk of C-section*
- 12% increase in the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth*
- 9% decrease in the use of any medications for pain relief
- 14% decrease in the risk of newborns being admitted to a special care nursery
- 34% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience*
(For four of these outcomes,* results with a doula were better than all the other types of continuous support that were studied. For the other outcomes, there was no difference between types of continuous support.)
What is a Postpartum Doula?
A Postpartum Doula is a doula specializing in the period following the birth of a baby is one that supports mothers, babies, and their partners emotionally and physically during this sensitive time. Support comes in many shapes and sizes and is catered to each family's needs and desires. Examples include playing with or taking care of older siblings, light household to-dos, comforting touch for mama, holding the baby while mama naps, support with breastfeeding, or simply listening! A postpartum doula is not medically trained, yet offers a wealth of local resources to new parents and can provide opinion and support with a variety of topics.
Families who utilize postpartum doula care often times report improved well-being, success with breastfeeding, and reduced postpartum depression and anxiety symptoms.
Invest in your health, your baby, and your growing family. Prevention is key!
Families who utilize postpartum doula care often times report improved well-being, success with breastfeeding, and reduced postpartum depression and anxiety symptoms.
Invest in your health, your baby, and your growing family. Prevention is key!
What is a Bereavement Doula?
A bereavement doula is a trained professional who provides support to families as they navigate through pregnancy, birth, and/or the postpartum period when there is a loss of a child. Whether due to miscarriage, stillbirth, a baby with a fatal diagnosis, or infant death. Care may come in the form of physical, emotional, and/or informational support.