If you are pregnant or have just had a baby....have you thought about using a Doula?
A Doula is someone who offers emotional and practical support to a woman (or couple) before, during and after childbirth.
Research has shown
that having an experienced woman with you throughout labour can:
- shorten the length of labour by 25%
- reduce the need for pain relief by 30%
- reduce epidural requests by 60%
- decrease cesarean
section rate by 50%
- enhance the birth experience for both mother & father
- promotes breastfeeding
It has also been shown to provide great benefits to the mothers directly such as:
- Increased satisfaction with her birth experience
- Less postnatal depression
- Shorter hospital stays
- Increased success of breastfeeding
(Taken from Mothering the Mother - Klaus,
Kennell & Klaus 1993)
