What is a doula?

By Sara Keli

If you’re expecting a baby and have done any research on labour and delivery, you will have likely seen the word ‘doula’ pop up here and there. Maybe someone even suggested you hire a doula yourself for your childbirth. But what is a doula? Here is the lowdown. 

Doula vs midwife

A doula is someone who offers support to a woman during childbirth. Unlike a midwife, a doula’s support is non-medical in nature and is instead focussed on ensuring the comfort and wellbeing of the woman during labour.

A doula doesn’t replace a doctor or midwife, but rather works alongside your medical team to guide you emotionally through the experience of childbirth. She can work with you throughout your pregnancy and into early motherhood, giving you information, support and physical help when you need it. 

Doula services

A doula will understand massage and breathing techniques, labour and birthing positions, as well as offer emotional support to encourage and empower you throughout the birth. 

You might start working with her a few weeks before your due date, talking about what your birth plan might be, how she can best help you, and other positive ways to prepare for labour.

If you do hire a doula, you call her as soon as you go into labour so she can be there for its entirety. There can be many benefits of having a doula present during your childbirth: 

• having someone you know and trust present in the delivery suite with you throughout your entire labour, and not just popping in to check on you
• taking the pressure off your partner or support person by stepping in to help with a massage, or suggesting different positions to try
• there may also be a decrease in interventions during childbirth when a doula is present.

Is a doula expensive?

How much a doula costs varies widely. A more in-demand and experienced doula could ask for more than a doula just starting out, or a doula who sees their clients more often might be more expensive than others. The services offered will also impact cost. In Australia, overall, a typical doula package can cost anywhere from  $1000 to $3000.

This cost usually covers one or two meetings in pregnancy, attendance at birth, and a visit after birth.

How to find a doula

You may like to start by asking your doctor or midwife if they have any doulas they recommend. They may have worked with a doula in the past with other patients that they know offer the support you will need. 

Otherwise, there are various doula directories where you can search for doulas in your area. The Australian Doula College has a find a doula search on their website, as does the Doula Network Australia. 

You might like to meet with a few doulas before you make your decision and be sure to ask them questions to understand their experience and approach:

• how long have they been practising as a doula
• how many births have they attended as a doula
• what techniques do they use to support women during childbirth
• what qualifications do they have 
• why did they decide to become a doula

You will also want to make sure that you emotionally connect with the doula you choose. This is a person who will be with you during one of the most amazing moments of your life – when you meet your new baby – so be sure that you get along!

Postpartum doulas

Whether you have a doula during your childbirth or not, you can also engage a postpartum doula who will help you to transition into life with your new baby. This can be a very emotional time, and if you are living away from family or have very little support around you, it can also be very isolating and challenging.

It takes a village to raise a child, but it takes one to raise a mother as well, so a postpartum doula steps in to help with this. They can provide emotional support, meals for when you don’t have time to cook, breastfeeding or baby care support, and also assistance with cleaning around the home. They can look after the baby while you sleep, do the dishes, or just provide a friendly ear if you’d like to talk about your new life as a mum.

As with choosing a childbirth doula, you are inviting someone into your life when you are at your most vulnerable, so it’s important to choose someone you connect with and who respects your choices and wishes. 

At the end of the day, that is the role of a doula: to support you and guide you in your decisions to the most amazing experience of your life.

Read more: 

• Five positive ways to prepare for labour
• Best supplements and vitamins for pregnant and new mums
• Am I in labour?