Intreated in learning more about duelas

• 06-21-2008 8:15 PM

  Mother2Be0608 Joined on 05-08-2008 Michigan Posts 37	Intreated in learning more about duelas Reply Contact I am 28 weeks into my pregency and was wodering what a dula is and how they can help in a pregency! I have some a little problem with handling stress and have an angzity problem as well! my qustion is can dolas halp in that area and if so are there any near my area in Michigan that would be willing to help me!

• 06-22-2008 12:06 PM

  In reply to

  sjcush Joined on 09-19-2006 Posts 73

  Re: Intreated in learning more about duelas Reply Contact Birth doulas primarily provide emotional and physical support during labor, however they can also be a source of reliable information during pregnancy.  See this link from Doulas of North America's website http://www.dona.org/mothers/why_use_a_doula.php There are also postpartum doulas which provide support to you after your birth (helping with other children, cooking, household chores, errands, etc). Doulas of North America International (DONA International) is the main certifying organization for doulas.  It is the largest and most well supported doula organization in the world.   Also, on the link above in the left hand margin there is a search you can use to find a doula in your area.   Good luck!

• 08-02-2008 8:01 AM

  In reply to

  RunnerMum Joined on 08-02-2008 Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts 2

  Re: Interested in learning more about doulas Reply Contact When you finally get to the point where you will meet your doula(s) ask lots of questions. First off, you are going to build a very personal connection with this individual, so if you don't hit it off right off the bat, just interview another. Some ideas for questions include: 1. Has the doula been certified/registered? 2. How many births has she attended? 3. What are her personal birthing experiences? 4. While natural labour is the goal, what are her views of other types of births? 5. Does she work alone or a team (I hae a team of two doulas who will rotate after 12hrs of labour, so you get someone fresh and full of energy to help you) 6. What is your background (besides being a doula) - you'll find registered nurses, psychologists and people with backgrounds and experiences they can draw upon to help you, also some districts cover doula care if the doula is a registered health practitioner. 7. Does she have any references of moms you can speak to about their experience with her as their doula? 8. Does she or her doula group offer education classes and how much do they cost? I think having support for you and your birth partner by having a doula will enhance the experience based on everything I heard! We live in a province that does not cover midwifery and i think have a doula is a good option for us despite the out of pocket expense. I'm not due for another 5 weeks - so hopefully someone with personally experience can share their story with you. All I know is the statistics go up for success in natural childbirth if you have a doula.