A Doula? What’s that?

When some people think of the word “doula”, they think unicorns, rainbows, childbirth, magical women, etc. The origin of the word is less than glamorous – the Greek word means “woman servant.” In this industry, a doula is a non-medical, professional birth-worker, specifically trained in assisting women through pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum periods. Many doulas are hired in a pregnant person’s second trimester, although doulas can be hired at any time. Though doulas do not provide any clinical support, they are very knowledgeable in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum.

You may hear people say “my doula is my advocate” or “doulas empower women during birth.” At Birth and Beyond, we believe in neither of these statements. If we acted as your advocate or empowered you, we would be taking away your power as a person. Instead, we remind you of the power you already have, and while hormones are raging, we remind you of how to advocate for yourself.

In addition to this, we provide comfort with pain-relief techniques including but not limited to, steady breathing patterns, relaxation through massage and/or essential oils, laboring position changes, and normalizing everything you are going through. Even further, we assist you with referrals, breastfeeding, childbirth education, and encouraging mother-baby bonding immediately after childbirth. Most importantly, we work for you as part of your birth team to help you experience a positive, safe, desirable birthing experience!