A Doula Does the Following:​

• Assists in preparing and carrying out the birth plans of a woman and her birth partner.

• Offers non-biased information to help the mother and her partner reach informed decisions about her care.

• Compliments the efforts of the mother's birth team but does NOT take the place of her support team.

• Understands the physiology of pregnancy, labor and birth and how to emotionally support a woman in labor.

• Believes that birth is an empowering experience that will create life-long memories.

• Gives continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the laboring mother and her partner, throughout the entire labor and birth.

• Assists the mother with breastfeeding if she chooses to breastfeed.

• Believes in a woman's ability to give birth.

• Treats the woman and her birth partner with dignity and respect.

• Will always try to answer questions with fact based evidence.

 

A Doula Does NOT Do the Following:

• Does NOT perform ANY clinical tasks such as checking fetal heart tones or vaginal exams.

• Does NOT take the place of a health care provider.

• Does not provide information or advice pertaining to prescription medications.

• Does not offer medical advice pertaining to the woman or her baby.

• Does not make decisions for the woman. The doula will help the woman get the information necessary to make her own informed decision.

• Does not speak to the staff on the woman/couple's behalf. The doula will discuss concerns and suggest options, but the woman or her partner will speak on her behalf to the clinical staff.

• Does not get angy or upset if the mother chooses to receive pain medication or alters from the initial birth plan.