A ‘women who
support women’ movement is growing in the UK: more and more mothers are
turning to ‘doulas’ to help them through
pregnancy and childbirth.
Along with the anxiety of giving
birth, many women in the UK are also
concerned that they may not receive one-to-one
care while in
labour due to a
shortage of
midwives in the National Health Service (NHS).
That is one of the reasons why ‘doulas’ (also known as labour coaches or birthing assistants) are growing in popularity. Another reason is that many women want a more natural and less medicalised childbirth. With this in mind, some women
hire a doula. Doulas give
advice, support and encouragement to the
mum-to-be before, during and after childbirth.
They often take the role of a mother,
aunt or sister to the women – there is the idea of ‘
mothering the mother’. They are
trained and experienced in childbirth, offering practical and emotional support, such as helping the
expectant mother to stay as calm as possible through
breathing exercises and massage. Last year, about 2,500 women hired a doula to be present during their labour, compared to 700 in 2004.
According to research, if a doula is present at the childbirth, labour is shorter,
caesarean sections are less
likely, and fathers feel more
confident in supporting their partner.
Newborn babies born to women with doulas are reported to suffer less foetal distress. In addition, their mothers are more successful at
breastfeeding. Impressed by the
findings, The Department of Health has given £270,000 to help create volunteer doula services across the country.
It can cost between £150 and £1,000 to hire a doula, figures that are
out of reach for some families. However, some volunteer projects aim to help those women who cannot afford a doula. Doula UK, a non-profit association of doulas, has a
hardship fund to help families. Ricki Lake, the former
daytime TV
talk show host, recently
attended a
fundraising event for the association in London. Lake is a
campaigner for natural childbirth. In 2007, she produced a documentary called ‘The Business of Being Born’ which investigated the high rates of caesarean
deliveries and babies dying during childbirth in the US.
Mervi Jokinen of the Royal College of Midwives believes it is ‘sad that some women may feel anxious that their concerns will not be heard by health professionals and therefore look to an external
advocate such as a doula’. Doula UK makes it clear that doulas are not midwives as they have no clinical training.
Bridget Baker, 63, is a doula who has helped women through more than 100 births. ‘Your doula is your friend, your mum, your favourite auntie who has the most experience with children – all
rolled into one’, she says. ‘The main thing is to make mums feel safe. A doula comes as soon as your contractions have started and usually stays until the birth is over and you’re feeling
settled.’ Doulas recognize birth as a key life experience that the mother will remember all her life.
For Jo Joelson, mother to 11-month-old Jetson, having a doula was a
god-send. ‘Having a doula is like running a marathon but having a personal trainer with you
all the way’, she says. ‘She helped me to have a
drug-free and completely natural birth, which is what I wanted.’
By Bex
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