What would I do without my Doula?
By the time my husband and I finally got pregnant the first
time, I had done a lot of reading about birth options and we had
already decided to have a midwife instead of a doctor. We
believe that pregnancy is a healthy state of being, and unless
something came up, a midwife was the best way to go for us.
Besides, where we live, a midwife can deliver babies at
hospitals, so I felt that was the safest way to go. (Although,
now, I feel I could have had my babies at home... but that is a
whole other article!).
When I was a few weeks pregnant I came across an article on
doulas, but I had never heard of a doula so I wasn't quite sure
what to make of it. A doula is a woman who supports women
through childbirth. "Doula" is an ancient Greek word meaning
"servant to women". A doula provides a woman with continuous
emotional support, aides in her physical comfort, and encourages
the laboring woman. She also provides praise, reassurance, and
explains what is going on during the labor. While some husbands
and partners may feel that it