World Doula Week 2023
World Doula Week is coming up March 22-28th. Kicking off on World Doula Day, the goal of World Doula Week is to showcase the impact that birth and postpartum doulas have on the physiological, social, emotional, and psychological health of women, newborns and families in the postpartum period.
Doulas are non-medical professionals who provide informational, educational and physical support during pregnancy, labor & birth and for the first 12 weeks of the postpartum period.
Benefits of the presence of doulas in birth and in the postpartum period:
Reduces the incidence of cesarean births
May shorten the length of labor
Reduces epidural and analgesic requests
Increases breastfeeding initiation and continuation
Increases mother’s satisfaction of birth experience
Can reduce the incidence of postpartum mood disorders
Increases new parents’ confidence in the care of their newborn
Heartstrings Birth Doula provides birth doula support to Clackamas County and surrounding areas families and is now taking inquiries for the rest of 2023. You can learn more here. www.heartstringsbirthdoula.com
Throughout history, women have supported each other during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. In today’s society of scattered friends and families, doulas fill this vital role of support for the people birthing the next generation.
And families in the PNW have benefited from working with Heartstrings Birth Doula Services since 2001.
“I have had 2 cesareans with a history of abdominal surgery. This made a trial of labor/ vaginal birth extremely risky for me. I desperately wanted a vaginal birth. Elaine helped me to formulate the right questions to ask my OB. She made sure to understand my history and my wants for this birth experience. She was available 24/7 to answer questions and she checked on me daily to see how I was doing t\and give me emotional support and encouragement. With her by my side I was able to accomplish the impossible and have a successful vaginal birth. She even took photos and a timeline to document the experience, which are amazing memories to have. I am 2 weeks postpartum, and she is still checking in on me and baby. She also provided amazing support to my spouse during labor. She helped calm him and help support my needs, while also making sure his needs were met as well. I have already recommended her to several people in my life and will continue to recommend her. I could not have accomplished this without her, and she will forever be an important person in my life after this experience. Words don’t seem sufficient to get across how much having her there meant to me and my spouse. Elaine is an absolutely amazing, knowledge\able, compassionate, and relatable doula. She is approachable and made me fill instantly comfortable. If I have any more kids, I will definitely have her there with me!
Katherine, Beaverton”
Having a baby is one of life’s biggest transitions and greatest joys. However, many parents find themselves feeling extremely isolated and overwhelmed during pregnancy and the postpartum period after the initial excitement has subsided.
Hiring a doula can help reverse those feelings and provide the support that new families need to instead have a pregnancy and postpartum period that is filled with feelings of contentment and empowerment.
In honor of World Doula Week, here are the top 4 benefits of hiring a doula:
Non-judgmental support - a doula does not come in with specific birthing plan or parenting style. Doulas do not push a specific ways of doing things. A doula is there to help you come up with your own birth plan and parenting style. She’ll help you figure out what feels right for your family. Doulas are also expert listeners who have no baggage of a family history with you.
More enjoyable maternity leave – doulas help ease the transition for new parents. Having a baby is a major life change. Doulas are there to calmly support you through the shift and help you focus on enjoying it, rather than muddling through it alone.
Expert advice – your doula can share what works for other families, and other ideas and tips based on her training and experience, IF YOU ASK. It’s so wonderful to have all your questions answered as you go instead of relying on Google.
Decreased risk of postpartum depression & anxiety – research has shown that new mothers who feel supported tend to report less problems with postpartum mental health.
Heartstrings Birth Doula Services helps new families in the PNW by providing birth doula support and childbirth education. Contact her today 503-740-6791 or heartstringsbirthdoula@gmail.com to learn more.
