Coastal Bend Birth Connection, Inc. Labor Support, Birth and Postpartum Services Darla Cassel, C.L.D., Doula/Childbirth Assistant                       Phone: 361-994-6386 E-mail:ibreastfeedinfo@gmail.com

What is a doula?

Doula (pronounced doo-la) is a Greek word that means an experienced woman who provides pregnant women with nonmedical emotional and physical assistance fromlate pregnancy through labor and delivery, and into the first weeks of a newborn's life.

In the past it was common for female friends and family members of a woman in labor to gather at the birth and offer assistance. Today, trained doulas are a way for women to gain this support before, during and after labor

What is a doula's role?

Doulas do not try to replace a woman's husband, partner, family or friends. The role of a doula is to be an objective outsider offering support as a specially-trained labor coach. This support might contain providing educational information about pregnancy and labor (including information about medical procedures), coaching breathing, offering massage during labor, providing relief to a partner who needs a nap or a meal, and helping the new mother with breastfeeding.

A doula's assistance is highly personalized. Doulas are trained to support a woman's individual needs and desires. Their overall objective is to help the woman have the kind of birth experience she wants. Doulas start working with a pregnant woman in her third trimester. They may teach childbirth techniques such as slow breathing and relaxation, answer questions about what to expect, and assist in developing a birth plan. Doulas attend the birth, whether at the hospital or at home, and meet with the new family once or twice after the birth.