Pregnancy & Baby 

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Doulas and dads

Dads are great – but Pat Thomas reveals the identity of another partner who can support you through labour

Some mums to be are lucky enough to have a midwife, who also acts as a friend and advocate during delivery. But this isn’t always the case and this is where the doula comes in. The name doula (pronounced doola) comes from a Greek root and refers to a ‘knowledgeable support person’. While any woman can act as a doula, she’s usually someone who has been professionally trained to provide support in labour, and this can be really useful if your partner doesn’t want to witness the scene in the labour room, or you’re a single parent giving birth. Having said that, lots of couples have also valued having a doula to help them through.

A female companion (midwife, doula or friend) has long been accepted as the best kind of ‘medicine’ a labouring woman needs, and studies show that the outcome of birth is better if a doula (a ‘trained’ female birth partner) is present. One study published in the New England Journal of Medicine an amazing 20 years ago, showed that having a doula present, cut the average length of labour, from admission to delivery, by half (from 19.3 hours to 8.8 hours).

According to the International Childbirth Education Association, a doula’s job is to accompany a woman in labour and assist her in having a safe and satisfying birth. The doula draws on her knowledge, experience and intuition to provide emotional support and physical comfort. Antenatally, she can help to provide the information you need to make decisions about labour and delivery. NHS doctors or midwives will still attend your birth but your doula will act as an advocate for you when you are in labour. She’ll make your needs and plans for birth a priority for everyone in the delivery room, when you and your partner might have other things on your mind. A doula can also make suggestions about how to help the progress of labour, and about relaxation, massage, positioning and other techniques for comfort.

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