Mathair Doula

The word,"doula," is a Greek word referring to a woman who has experience in the process of childbirth who provides continuous physical and emotional support for a woman before, during and after childbirth. A Doula… ¨ Recognizes childbirth as a key life xperience that the mother will remember all her life… ¨ Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor… ¨ Assists the woman and her partner in preparing for and carrying out their plans for the birth… ¨ Stays by the side of the laboring woman throughout her entire labor… ¨ Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures, an objective viewpoint and helps the woman get the information she needs to make good decisions… ¨ Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and clinical care providers… ¨ Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the woman's memory of her birth experience