Radical Doula

Mothering the mother: Doulas help women with childbirth

Wednesday, February 28, 2007
By Tina Calabro 

Over the past two decades, an increasing number of mothers-to-be have arranged for a doula to be present during labor and delivery. The centuries-old role of doula — a knowledgeable, older woman who tends to a mother during childbirth — has become a contemporary sight in hospital obstetric units. Recent national surveys report that doulas participate in about five out of every hundred births, and that number is growing.
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It’s well documented that doula-assisted births often result in shorter labors, fewer C-sections and forceps deliveries, and less medication. Those who track community doulas are discovering additional benefits, such as fewer premature births, greater commitment to breastfeeding, and healthier pregnancy behaviors.
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“We’re high on doulas,” says David Brewton, associate executive director of East Liberty Family Health Care Center.
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The realization among social service providers that community doulas could positively impact the health of the baby was a collective “aha” moment, says Hope Ruedy, director of Erie Homes for Children and Adults in Erie. The agency has run a doula program for women with mental health and other types of disabilities since 2000.

Full story here