What does a Doula do?

Doulas are becoming more of a fixture in Australian maternity and labour wards. I attend around 2 hospitals per week, and have begun to meet lots of professional Childbirth Attendants going about their business. 3 years ago, when I had my son, Doulas were a rarity in the hospital system. But lucky for the modern Mum and Dad a Doula is merely a mouse click away.

It is not a new profession by any means. Women have been supporting each other during pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatally throughout the ages. However life and parenting have taken on new meanings for men and women alike over recent years. Feminism gave us the right to vote, to educate ourselves and choose our own paths. It also created the rise of the working woman. No longer do we stay at home from the moment the ring is slipped onto our finger. We can anticipate to be working as long, and as hard as our partners. Sadly, this also means that our Mums, our Sisters and our Friends are likely not to be home when we need help with our baby. And it is unlikely that they can take a week off work to help prepare for the impending birth.

Birth has changed for men too. In days past, the Father of the baby would be waiting at the nearest pub, cigar in hand, awaiting the good news. The labouring woman would be supported by her mother, her sister or a friend. Sometimes nobody at all. Luckily times have changed and men have a choice in their level of proactivity surrounding their roles as fathers.

The maternity system is pretty much stretched at the seams and about to burst. In the larger hospitals there can be up to 12 labouring women at a time, so midwives are only really available to perform clinical duties rather than supportive ones. In other words, you may only see your midwife when its time for an internal, or when its time to push. The midwives I have met and talked to at length about this hate that they are unable to be as actively supportive as they know a woman and her partner needs. You are also likely to have a variety of different care providers during you pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal care. It can be hard to know who to trust, and who to create a bond with during his huge life event when you don't know if you'll be seeing them again!

All of these factors combined with the fact that women now feel that their only options in birth are what she is "allowed" by medical professionals contribute to a lack of trust in our own bodies to give birth.

A Doula is able to help you by:

• Bringing you back to your body's natural birth instinct, and educate you in the way your body works to bring your baby into the world
• Support you and your partner throughout the pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatally
• Giving you advice, support and information when you ask for it, and when you need it most
• Lowers the risk and incidence of Antenatal Depression and Postnatal Depression by offering continuity of care

For more info about Doulas, pregnancy, labour, birth and your new baby go to www.SydneyBubs.com.au