| Doulas According to Marshall and Phyllis Klaus in Mothering the Mother a doula is "a woman experinced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the mother before, during, and just after childbirth." Doulas see birth as an important life experince that will be remembered by the mother all her life. They understand the physicology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labour. She assists the woman and her partner in preparing for carrying out their plans for the birth. Doulas also stay by the side of the labouring mother thoughout the entire labour. The main job of a doula is to provide emotional support, phsyical comfort measures, an objective viewpoint and assistance to the woman in getting the information she needs to make good decisions. A doula provides communication between the labouring woman, her partner, and clinical careprovidres. The doula sees her role as one who nurtures and protects the woman's memory of her birth experince. Doulas provide much needed emotonial support for labouring women and can decrease risks of pregancy. Also, doulas decrease cesaran sections in women with which they labour. |