Monday, March 29, 2010

So what is a doula and why would I need one?

Doula is the Greek work for maid servant.  Throughout history women have been surrounded by the care and compassion of women who are experts in the field of maternity care.  I am proud to be considered one of those women.

Many women may have heard of the term doula when it comes to childbirth but did you know that there are postpartum doulas?  We are women who will come to you during those fragile transitional moments after the baby is born.  The role of a postpartum doula is to help a woman through her postpartum period and to nurture the family.

Unlike a baby nurse, a doula’s focus is not solely on the baby.  Our role is to help the entire family feel confident in their new roles. We are their to help the father and older children as well as the mother and the baby.

Knowing that the family is an evolving, connected unit enables doulas to do their job.  We gauge our success by how independent the family is at the end of the time we have with them. 

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