Doula - who is this? History of appearance, features and functions

The trends of the XXI century affect absolutely all spheres of modern life. In recent decades, much has changed in the approach to managing pregnancy, choosing the tactics of childbirth. Today, the mother is no longer separated from the newborn in the ward. So-called partner births became habitual . Some even choose the country in which they want the baby to be born. Future mothers increasingly use concepts borrowed from foreign languages. One of them is the "dole". Who is it? Why does this specialty gain popularity in our country? Answers to these and many other questions you will learn by reading the article.

Doula - who is this?

Dole (translated from Greek as "maid") is a spiritual midwife who helps a woman in the period of bearing a baby. Her services are often used in the process of delivery, as well as after the birth of the child. It is proved that inexperienced women often experience fear of having a baby. They do not always own themselves, they can monitor the situation in the hospital and find contact with doctors. Unlike the midwife and gynecologist, dole does not provide medical services. Her work is more aimed at moral and psychological support. Dole is an assistant in childbirth, who can also act as the legal representative of the future mother. It monitors the observance of women's rights and the fulfillment of her desires.

Historical reference

Throughout history, ladies during childbirth resorted to outside support. Previously, specially trained women controlled the whole process and provided the necessary assistance. They cut the umbilical cord, sewed up existing gaps, and prepared sedatives based on medicinal plants.

The palm of primacy in this matter belongs to the so-called midwives. They were presented with a number of requirements, the implementation of which was monitored without fail:

• Having several own children;
• material wealth;
• good reputation;
• Skills of quackery;
• Knowledge of a large number of prayers and conspiracies.

Midwives in those days were equated with magical beings. It was believed that they could make the girl barren and even affect the future life of the newborn.

Later midwives took part of the role of the midwife. These are medical workers who help pregnant women and newly mummies. Their main difference from midwives is the availability of specialized medical education. In maternity hospitals, representatives of this profession provide completely different services. They help a woman to go through hygienic procedures before the birth, adjust directly to the process, take care of newly mummies and their children.

The main difference between a midwife and a doula is the ability to provide qualified medical care and the availability of specialized education. However, recently these two specialties are often combined. Moreover, it is possible to meet the concept of "midwife-dole". Many medical workers in maternity hospitals are completing special courses to help a woman not only physiologically, but also at a psychological level.

Considering the profession of doulas as a substitute for the first two is considered impractical. The work of spiritual midwives implies somewhat different duties and is more relevant to practical psychology. In case of unforeseen circumstances, Dole will not be able to provide medical assistance. She acts more as an intermediary between the mother and the medical staff.

Varieties of dol

There are several varieties of spiritual midwives. Let's consider in detail the distinguishing features of each of them a little lower:

• Prenatal Dole - who is it? It is the duty of the assistant to support a woman during the period of pregnancy itself. During the meetings, the dole and the future mummy are discussing the plan for the forthcoming births, developing an optimal strategy. Assistant tells in detail what will happen during the process in the ward, how to behave, what points to pay attention to when talking with a doctor. In addition, she can suggest how to breathe properly in different periods of childbirth. The mood for a positive outcome of such an important event is another responsibility of the spiritual midwife.
• Dole at childbirth. The assistant comes to the future mother home at the first sign of childbirth and stays with her until the baby's birth. In the hospital, she also must constantly be present with a woman, suggesting the right posture, giving water or food. Dole can remind the doctor what the initial birth plan was. If circumstances change, and the obstetrician-gynecologist offers a medicamental effect, the assistant should explain the pregnant woman to the pregnant woman what happened.
• Postnatal Dole. At home, she provides comprehensive support to a woman to care for the newborn, advises on breastfeeding. If there is a need, the dole can help with the au pair. Such conditions are negotiated separately.

Who needs a spiritual midwife and why?

At the service of doulas, absolutely any pregnant woman can resort. In many European countries and the US, spiritual midwives are hired even in the case of cesarean section. They often provide support to single mothers and other women who find themselves without help from close relatives.

Even doctors do not deny the beneficial effects of the experimental dola during childbirth. According to statistics, the presence of such an assistant in the ward reduces:

• Probability of cesarean section by 50%;
• Use of drugs for stimulation by 40%;
• Duration of the birth process by 25%.

In some countries in Europe, medical clinics have permanent doles, while they provide assistance for free.

Duties of the assistant

Despite the fact that the services of the dole began to gain popularity relatively recently, it is now possible to determine the list of duties of a spiritual midwife:

• Maintaining the correct emotional and psychological mood of the mother;
• Conducting and demonstrating various breathing techniques used during the delivery process;
• Escorting a woman to a hospital;
• Help in the process of delivery (massage, acupuncture, aromatherapy);
• Communication with relatives and a doctor as an intermediary;
• Help with the child in the early days of his life.

It is not possible to list absolutely all the duties of the dole. Highlights are usually discussed by both parties during pregnancy.

How do doctors treat third-party care?

Practice of obstetrics in our country is not common, therefore it is often possible to observe ambiguous attitude of medical personnel to such a profession as dole. Who is this and why an assistant is needed, many doctors simply do not understand. The question of her presence in the hospital is recommended to specify in advance. To prevent the appearance of slanting views and disputes, you can imagine the doula medical staff as your relative or girlfriend.

Sometimes there are situations when both the assistant and the future father are present at the birth simultaneously. However, most often men prefer to wait in the corridor or on the first floor, observing the distance. If the partner is ready and wants to attend the birth, the dole adjusts to the team. She can simultaneously help a woman and provide psychological support to a future father.

Tips for choosing

If you made a decision about the presence of dola during childbirth, pay attention to the following tips:

1. To search for a spiritual midwife, it is better to use specialized Internet resources. Despite the novelty of this profession, in our country today there are several companies that are engaged in the search for dole. Many of them have personal websites, which tell about the package of services and their cost.
2. Recommendations play an important role in choosing a woman for such a role as a dole. The feedback of other ladies who have already been born with them are often of decisive importance. Do not be lazy and contact them to find out all the information from the first mouth.
3. A great advantage for a spiritual midwife is her experience (childbirth should not be the first or even second in a career). It is worth paying attention to her diploma, the presence of foreign certificates of professional development. Many representatives of this profession regularly take internships abroad to confirm and improve their skills.

Before direct delivery it is recommended to hold several meetings with the potential douche. The future mommy should be comfortable to communicate with her.

Registration of the legal agreement, cost of services

The conclusion of legal contracts is extremely rare, because in our country this service has not yet managed to enter the broad market. In addition, women often find their assistants "on familiarity", which virtually eliminates the possibility of meeting with an unscrupulous lady or a swindler. If the parties wish to conclude a contract, it is better to discuss the matter with a qualified lawyer.

How much does it cost to give birth with a douche? The average price for these services varies from 10 to 12 thousand rubles. This includes repeated meetings during pregnancy, continuous communication at any time of the day, support during childbirth and several hours after the appearance of the baby. Also in the package of services sometimes include consultations after discharge from the hospital, so that the assistant could make sure of the normal psychological state of the newly mummy.

How to become a douche?

First of all, it should be noted that the availability of specialized medical education is not important. Any woman who has such qualities as practically any woman can become a doula:

• Positive experience of several births in a natural way;
• The ability to find a language with any people, the desire to make contact and take into account the wishes;
• Awareness in some medical matters;
• Knowledge of the process of birth;
• Sincerity and goodwill;
• The availability of skills for the care of newborns.

Given the unpredictability of the course of labor, doula must necessarily have midwifery experience. Useful skills are needed in order to calm the future mommy and tell her what's going on. It should be noted once again that she has no right to perform medical manipulations. Her work consists exclusively of psychological counseling. However, it should be ready for calls in the middle of the night, working for several days without rest. Usually the role of assistant during childbirth is assumed by future midwives or women who already have the education of a psychologist.

It is believed that the highest quality and qualified support can be provided by a certified dole. Training in the specialty is not conducted in any university of our country. There are companies that annually hold trainings for dole, including in Russian. The first organization that began to train assistants during childbirth was the "Association of Natural Parenting Professionals". It officially exists since 2011 and on a regular basis conducts educational programs for all comers. The participants who received the certificates of this organization have the opportunity to work in different countries of the world.

Can a relative replace the dole?

If she has the qualities listed above, then the answer will be positive. When a woman makes a choice in favor of a mother or sister, she does not go quite right. A close person or relative at times can not keep his composure at a difficult moment and at the same time give support to a woman in labor. Lack of necessary experience will further exacerbate the situation, and the future mother will feel defenseless.

The presence of the husband in the patrimonial chamber is justified only with his conscious desire. It is better before this to take the preparation courses for childbirth. Often on them women go together with their husbands. In all other cases it is necessary to trust dole.

Celebrities helped by professionals

Many show business stars have repeatedly asked for help to dole. The most famous supporter of home births of Alexander Zverev is one of them. Moving to America, during the third pregnancy, she hired an assistant. Childbirth with a douche, she said, went easily and without problems. Now she advises everyone to follow in her footsteps.

Tutta Larsen (Tatiana Romanenko) also used the services of a spiritual midwife. She talked about this in detail in her microblog and shared her impressions.

Julianne Moore was once lucky enough to play a mother who gave birth at home. As it became known later, the actress herself is a supporter of similar practices. Her daughter Levi was born with her husband, midwife and doula.

Let's sum up the results

Childbirth is a natural process. Many women go to special courses to prepare for the birth of a child, while they feel absolutely confident. They rarely need dole (assistant in childbirth). Other representatives of the fair sex without psychological support simply can not do. Most often these are primiparous ladies who are overly worried about the outcome of such an important event in life. Therefore, they turn to spiritual midwives for help. It is impossible to say exactly whether such an assistant is needed or not. The final decision always remains for the most pregnant woman. And if you take into account the reviews of such assistants, then they are mostly positive. Women are comfortable, they feel protected and ready for any situation.