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Doula
Doula: The word doula comes from Greek and refers to a woman who personally serves another woman. Labor support doulas are trained and experienced labor support persons who attend to the emotional and physical comfort needs of laboring women to smooth the labor process. They do not do clinical tasks such as heart rate checks, or vaginal exams but rather use massage, aromatherapy, positioning suggestions, etc., to help labor progress normally. A labor support doula joins a laboring woman either at her home or in hospital or birth center and remains with her until a few hours after the birth. In addition to emotional support, doulas work as advocates of their client’s wishes and may assist in communicating with medical staff to obtain information for the client to make informed decisions regarding medical procedures. Women supported by a doula during labor have been shown to have fewer cesarean births, shorter labor, and a reduced need for epidurals, analgesics and forceps. Research shows that 6 weeks after birth, mothers who had doulas were less anxious and depressed, had more confidence with baby, were more satisfied with their partner and were more likely to be breastfeeding. Although doulas are beneficial to first time parents, many women who have already given birth one or more times find the addition of a doula to their birth team an invaluable support. Postpartum doulas are trained to offer families evidence-based information and support on infant feeding, emotional and physical recovery from childbirth, infant soothing and coping skills for new parents. They may also help with light housework, fix a meal and help incorporate the older child into this new experience. (from wikipedia.org)
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