Washington DC birth doula, overnight newborn care, doula, birthAs you may already be aware, Hush Hush Little Baby provides newborn care specialists and doulas to support you and your growing family.  However, you may not have known that they also have labor doula services that are available to you during birth and delivery. Having a doula present during your birth story can make a huge difference for you and your partner. Unfortunately, there are sometimes misconceptions about what a doula is, what they do, and the benefits they provide to you and your partner.  In today’s blog, we will be giving you an overview of our labor doula services.

What is a Labor Doula?

A birth or labor doula is one who has been professionally trained to assist mom during labor, birth, and shortly after birth. While trained in the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of laboring moms, they are not medical professionals. A labor doula’s primary role is providing unbiased, non-judgmental physical and emotional support for the mother throughout the birth process.  Additionally, they provide information to both parents and are able to answer questions you may have about labor and delivery. It is important to note that your doula will not speak or make decisions on your behalf but may help facilitate discussions.

Benefits

According to DONA International, there have been numerous studies showing the benefits of having a labor doula present during birth. Based on the studies performed, those with a doula typically experience shorter labor, fewer complications, healthier babies, and breastfeed easier. A doula can help protect your memory of the birth experience by providing the support you need without being intrusive.  In addition to their support, doulas also provide an objective viewpoint which can be extremely valuable when making decisions. Drawing on their extensive experience, they provide you the information you need to make informed decisions. They are also trained to allow the woman’s partner to participate as little or as much as they would like. Therefore, there is no need to feel that they will be taking your partner’s place during labor and delivery.

Next Steps

If you would like to hire a labor doula to be with you through your birth story, Hush Hush Little Baby can help you find the perfect fit.  Once contacted, we will provide you with potential candidates for you to consider.  When you have narrowed down your selections, you will be able to interview your final candidates. We believe that it is important that the person selected be someone you connect with and interviews allow you to gauge just that. Once you’ve completed your interviews, contact Hush Hush Little Baby to inform us of your selection, and we will walk you through the rest of the process.