What is a Doula?
Doula meaning and origin of the word
‘Doula’ is a word I often have to repeat, then go onto explain, when meeting someone for the first time. The word ‘Doula’ comes from the greek word for ‘female slave’, doulē. Doula, has come to mean, a person who offers emotional, practical and informational support in pregnancy, birth and in the months after birth, the postpartum.
A brief history of doulas and birth support
The act of women supporting women in childbirth is 300,000 years old, as old as humanity. In recent history, there is record of the role being more formalised, an experienced woman in the community providing birth support. Very recently, the last 150 years of our 300,000 years, the approach to birth has been increasingly medicalised. In the current medical structure, there is little opportunity to build a relationship with our caregivers and for them to truly get to know us. Having consistency in our supporters, continuous support, is known to improve birth and postnatal experiences.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28681500/
For millennia, humans have lived in close communities with extended family and neighbours. In these communities we would have heard, seen and even supported birth before our own birth experience. Similarly in caring for infants, we would have seen people caring for babies in close proximity, spent time with babies and cared for them before having our own. Increasingly over the last 100 years, we live in a nuclear family structure, with less chance of gaining lived experience, acquiring skills and the support that is afforded by a close community. This can be felt quite acutely when we start our own families.
What a doula does
Through your pregnancy, birth and postnatal journeys, I can be a continuous, supporting presence, easing feelings of lost community, passing on skills and resulting in you feeling at ease and confident. The support is responsive to your needs as parents, to both offer guidance and to follow your lead. I am impartial, experienced and come with an open heart. In pregnancy, I will support you as you prepare physically, emotionally and practically for birth and becoming parents. During birth, I will consider and act upon your state of mind, comfort levels and environment, helping you to navigate your journey to birth. As you get to know your baby in the months after birth, I can be an extra pair of hands and a guide, I will care for your whole family.
I am not medically trained and will not give medical advice nor, make decisions on the behalf of you
A Birth Doula’s role
Support during pregnancy
In pregnancy, I can support you to explore your hopes around birth, by guiding you through a range of topics. The support is informational in part, but a big focus is to build my understanding of you as people- what makes you feel relaxed, secure and supported. The meetings in preparation for birth form a valuable foundation, allowing you to access and develop your birthing ethos, and polish your intuition. Your birthing ethos and intuition can help to inform choices pregnancy birth may present. A polished intuition is a wonderful skill for parenting too.
Support in pregnancy, covering…
Building your dream birthing experience, practically and metaphorically.
Working towards a healthy and open mind ready for birth.
Considering ways to balance your body ahead of birth.
Exploring evidenced based information to inform your decisions along your antenatal and birth journey.
Experimenting with techniques and movement to use during birth.
Documenting your birth preferences.
Preparing and planning for the postpartum period, the 4th trimester.
Support during labour and birth
Ahead of birth, I will keep in close contact with you, asking to be informed of any ‘birthy’ signs. ‘Birthy’ signs may include unusual bowel movements, signs of the mucus plug, discomfort, notable changes in emotions, surges/contractions & waters releasing, to name a few! I will also ask to be informed, of any relevant information, timescales & next steps discussed at appointments you may have with healthcare professionals. You’ll call me, at any hour of the day or night, when you believe that you may be going into or, are already in labour.
During birth you I will tune into you, the parents, to provide emotional and practical support. The support will be informed by everything I have learnt about you during pregnancy, coupled with my experience and knowledge of birth. The support will be unobtrusive: a reminder of a comfort technique, words of encouragement, breathing with you during a contraction or an offer of a physical comfort technique. I will keep the birthing environment, be that at home or in hospital, as you have indicated. If a need arises, I can work with you to gather information so you can make informed decisions in the moment.
I support both parents, I fill in the gaps, give space and step forward when needed.
After birth
After birth, I will slip away once you are comfortable and content. Within a week or so of birth I'll visit you at home to hear your reflections on your birth experience and how you are finding early parenthood. I support client’s in the months after birth as a postnatal doula.
Find out about my doula services here
What does a postnatal doula do?
Support in the early days after birth
The early weeks (months!) are a steep, love-fuelled learning curve and a time of recovery so, as you get to know your baby, I can offer guidance, empathy, encouragement and an extra pair of hands. There are some modern expectations put upon babies, which most babies haven’t agreed to, so a part of my role is to signpost to information to normalise infant behaviour. Normalising infant behaviour can be massively reassuring and confidence as new parents. I care without judgement, following your lead.
Newborn Care & Feeding Support
As a postnatal doula, I can offer guidance and help around the practical aspects of caring for a baby, including:
Infant feeding, whether breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. I am trained as a Breastfeeding Counsellor and very experienced in bottle feeding too.
Understanding infant sleep and how to settle a baby to sleep. Although, in the early days the support might be more about waking a sleepy newborn baby to feed!
Demonstrating and carrying out nappy changes, bathing, clothing changes and general newborn care.
Spending time with your baby while you rest.
Overnight care, caring for your baby while you sleep.
Support for Recovery & Adjustment
A will support both you and your family. I can support your recovery by:
Creating time for you to rest.
Discussing your birth experience and if needed unpacking feelings around it.
Negotiating challenges with you, talking concerns through and researching into the solutions with you.
Signposting to relevant organisations or professionals.
Carrying out light housework tasks.
Preparing food.
Caring for siblings.
Caring for pets.
Plus many more!
Emotional, Practical & Informational Support
A postnatal doula’s role can be broken down into three key areas.
Emotional support – listening to your experience, encouraging and normalising with the aim of polishing your intuition.
Practical support – Another pair of hands to help with baby care and light household tasks.
Informational support – Sign posting to good sources of information and, if indicated, other professionals, such as Osteopaths, Lactation Consultants, Physios etc.
How Hiring a Doula Works (UK)
What’s included in a doula package
Typical doula packages may look similar to the below.
Birth package
Two in-depth birth preparation sessions.
Research and refection emails.
Contact by phone, text, and email.
On-call 24 hours a day from 38 weeks gestation.
Birth support.
Post-birth reflection meeting.
Postnatal packages
Similar to the below, postnatal packages tend to come in blocks of hours, these hours can be split down in agreement with your doula. Setting a schedule of support ahead of your baby's birth can ensure you get the pattern of support you require.
20 HOURS
40 HOURS
80 HOURS
100 HOURS
200 HOURS
400 HOURS
Contracts and agreements explained
When you are ready to book, I will produce a contract, outlining the extent and boundaries of services. After you have read and signed the contract, payment will kindly be required to complete the booking. A birth fee is typically paid in two parts, while a postnatal fee is taken in full at booking. If you are able to claim my fee back via a health care provider, such as Carrot or Bupa, I can produce a statement for your health care provider.
On-call support and availability
Part of the excitement around babies, is that we don’t know when they are coming, I am very used to working around this.
For birth support, I space clients out in my schedule. As a birth doula, I may have other work commitments, such as postnatal work, but the birth will take priority when it happens. I will keep in close contact with you ahead of a birth.
In regard to postnatal support, I may have a number of clients at once. To reserve the pattern of postnatal support you require, setting a schedule of support at booking can be helpful. I will always try to offer you flexibility too. As said above, if I have a birth client when working for you postnatally, the birth would take priority but often the stars align, and there is little, or no disruption to booked postnatal sessions.
How to Book a Doula
When to start looking
I think the simple answer is to start looking for a doula when you decide you want one. Some clients start looking before conception, others once they fall pregnancy and for some scans prompt thoughts of finding a doula. Doulas don’t have unlimited availability so finding and then booking your doula can avoid disappointment.
How to choose the right doula
A phone or video call, can help you to establish if a doula’s experience, training and approach suits you. Once you have a short list of doulas, setting up a meeting with each of them, can give you a valuable chance to learn more.
Questions to consider asking in an interview
What lead you to becoming a doula?
How long have you been a doula?
What do you enjoy most about the role?
How many clients you supported as a doula?
What did your doula training entail?
Include any questions about your particular circumstances too.
& afterwards ask yourself….
Do you like them as a person, are you comfortable with them?
Do you want to invite them into your birth and/or postnatal experience?
Availability and due dates
Doula’s don’t have unlimited availability, so do book your doula when you find her.
How Much Does a Doula Cost?
Typical price ranges
Birth support may range between £2500-£8000 depending on the package.
Postnatal support could range between £35-£50 an hour.
What affects pricing
Doulas set their pricing in relation to their packages, experience, skills and business costs.
Cara Jordan, Birth and Postnatal Doula
Is a doula worth it?
Yes! Doula support has been shown to have the below benefits, quoted from the Doula UK website.
Benefits of having a doula
Quoted from the Doula UK website.
Shorter labours with fewer complications.
Reduced requests for pain medication.
Reduced likelihood of a caesarean birth or an assisted delivery.
Higher likelihood of establishing and continuing breastfeeding.
More positive birth and postnatal experiences.
Reduced rate of induction of labour.
Improvement of equity and culturally responsive care.
Research Papers
What is a doula and how do they help women giving birth? - The Conversation
The evidence for doulas -Evidenced Based Birth
'A qualitative study of volunteer doulas working alongside midwives at births in England: Mothers' and doulas' experiences.' - Midwifery Volume 56, January 2018. Jenny McLeish, Maggie Redshaw.
'Continuous support for women during childbirth.' - Cochrane Systematic Reviews 2017. Meghan A Bohren, G Justus Hofmeyr, Carol Sakala, Rieko K Fukuzawa, Anna Cuthbert.
Continuous support for women during childbirth.' - Cochrane Systematic Review 2013. Hodnett ED, Gates S, Hofmeyr G, Sakala C.
'Impact of doulas on healthy birth outcomes' - Journal of Perinatal Education 2013. Kenneth J. Gruber, Susan H. Cupito and Christina F. Dobson.
‘Benefits of massage therapy and use of a doula during labor and childbirth’ Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine Jan 2000. Keenan, P.
‘Supporting women in labor: analysis of different types of caregivers’ Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health Jan-Feb 2004, Vol 49(1), pp.24-31. Rosen, P.
MY SERVICES
BIRTH DOULA
Birth your baby knowing you will be truly supported throughout your birth experience. In preparation for birth, you’ll access and develop your birthing ethos to inform choices pregnancy & birth may present to you. During birth I'll be tuned into both you and your partner, to provide emotional and practical support, a continuous friendly presence.
POSTNATAL DOULA
As you get to know your baby, I offer guidance, empathy, encouragement and an extra pair of hands. I care you, your family and your home with a reassuring, kind presence. I provide support to ease your pathway through the love-fulled months after birth, a time of connection, recovery and finding a new rhythm.
Book a call
I love being a calming, reassuring presence for my clients and seeing the difference that can make. I will support you and your partner in your choices and as you need. I would consider it to be an honour to be part of your journey. Please do not hesitate to get in contact to ask any questions or to arrange to meet. The introductory meeting is without obligation and free, it’s a great opportunity to learn more about one another
I cover West London and areas of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire & Surrey.
LONDON SUPPORT AREA
SUPPORT AREA
Cara is a highly-rated Birth Doula & Postnatal Doula with outstanding client feedback. She covers West London & areas of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire & Surrey. West London: Chelsea, Chiswick, Ealing, East Sheen, Fulham, Hammersmith, Harrow, Notting Hill, Kensington, Paddington, Putney, Maida Vale & Richmond-upon-Thames. The wider area of: Ascot, Basingstoke, Beaconsfield, Bracknell, Chalfont, Cobham, Cookham, Henley-on-Thames, High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Marlow, Newbury, Oxford, Penn, Reading, Sunninghill, Windsor & Woking.
COMMON CONCERNS AROUND HIRING A DOULA
My partner is concerned they might feel marginalised by having support?
My intention is to hold a couple, a family, connected to each other in the centre, with me providing a cushioning layer on the outside. At such a life affirming time, you experiencing this as a couple, being present for one another, your baby and to the experience means so much. My support fills in gaps, is an extra pair of hands, is guided by you & understands you as people. My clients’ report feeling that they were both supported, that there was someone else they could both rely on when needed.
Are you allowed to support me in a hospital?
Yes, doulas are a very welcome support in hospital. I typically support you at home and then move to the hospital when you do. If the need arises, I’ll meet you at hospital.
Do you only support natural birth choices?
I support all birth. I will support you in your choices and as you need.
Through my work as a birth doula I have experience of; both home and hospital birth, undisturbed natural birth, epidural birth, caesarean birth, gentle caesarean birth, hypnobirthing, vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC), solo mamas, induction, water birth, birth over 40 years, IVF babies, twin birth, twin home birth, Heart babies, birth after loss, infant loss, complex health pictures and supporting fears & phobias around birth. I love being both a sole birth partner and an additional birth partner.
How can you support me during a birth with medical intervention?
The same as any birth, I will tune into you, to provide emotional and practical support. The support will be informed by everything I have learnt about you during pregnancy, coupled with my experience and knowledge of birth. Your aim will be to feel central to your birth experience, to be fully informed, if a need arises, we’ll gather information so you can make informed decisions in the moment. The support will be unobtrusive: a reminder of a comfort technique, words of encouragement, breathing with you during a contraction or an offer of a physical comfort technique. I will keep the birthing environment, as you have indicated.
Do midwives and doula clash in their approach?
Midwives facilitate medical care; monitoring you and your baby, physical examinations, administering medication & clinical note taking. Midwives also encourage and guide birthing people as they navigate their birth path. This is where the roles of the doula and midwife cross over. I feel we are motivated by the same thing, to support a woman through the most transformative of experiences. The roles are complementary, with the birthing person at the centre. Doulas and midwives have respect for one another.