Doula meaning: who is and why is it important during pregnancy
Motherhood doesn't always rhymes with happiness. Anxiety, fear, pressure and responsibility can end up suffocating future or new mothers who, often alone, find themselves having to manage a new and much bigger situation than them. This is where the doula comes in, a sort of do-it-all nanny, called to take care of the expecting family and struggling with a newborn baby. Let's see more precisely who the doula is, what its role is, how it differs from the midwife and why it is increasingly fundamental during and after pregnancy.
But before reading this, watch this video and discover all the meanings that babies crying can have!
Who is the Doula
The doula is a professional figure who assists women before, during and after childbirth. This is not a health worker, but rather a source of support for the expectant mother struggling with pregnancy. Thanks to years of personal experience and an intense training course, the doulas will be able to accompany women and their partners on this extraordinary journey through their own reassuring presence.
The idea of resorting to a figure like the doula, chosen outside the family nucleus, is now widespread throughout the world, even in Italy. Today, in fact, unlike in past years, new parents can no longer count on the constant presence and support of the family of origin (for reasons of work commitments or geographical distance) and, consequently, fall back on the assistance of the doula for be guided during gestation, labor, delivery and the care of the newborn baby.
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How the figure of the doula is born
It is since 1993, the year of publication of the book “Mothering the Mother” by the neonatologist Marshall H. Klaus, the pediatrician John H. Kennelly and the psychotherapist Phyllis H. Klaus, that the doula is gaining more and more popularity. In fact, the volume celebrates this professional figure who, generous with precious advice, helps the future mother to arrive ready at the moment of birth. And it is also in the United States that, in 1992, DONA was born, an acronym that stands for Doulas of North America, which is the first certified association of doules in the world.
Although he is a very ancient figure, it is only in 2018 that many people in Italy become aware of his existence. This is thanks to Chiara Ferragni who, waiting for her first child, used her social channels to discuss the possibility of hiring a doula, asking for advice and opinions from followers. The digital entrepreneur, residing in Los Angeles at the time, was in fact willing to use her support during her first pregnancy and life as a new mother.
For assistance, today future Italian mothers can count on the "A.D.I., The Doule Italia" Association.
Midwife and doula: what's the difference?
At this point, you may be wondering what the difference is between a doula and a midwife. Basically one: the midwife is the professional figure with health skills and called to assist the woman in the perinatal period from a medical point of view. The doula, on the other hand, has no health qualification and, in fact, cannot offer medical care to the pregnant woman, therefore it can only deal with the practical aspects of pregnancy and offer advice and moral support to the pregnant woman. However, thanks to the skills acquired during the experience and professional training, the doulas can perform relaxing massages on the expectant mother and guide her in breathing exercises.
Why the doula is important
Motherhood is very subjective. Every woman experiences the birth of her child in a completely personal way and, unfortunately, it is not always said that becoming a mother is a fulfilling and joyful experience. It is not uncommon for some women to experience a real existential crisis when they discover they are pregnant or immediately after giving birth and, although there is still too much reticence about it, postpartum depression is an increasingly rampant disease. It is in this context that the figure of the doula fits, whose mission is to lighten the physical and psychological load to which future mothers are subjected, often abandoned to themselves and targeted by continuous unwanted judgments. Therefore, in addition to reassuring mothers and partners with respect to parental responsibilities, doulas are essential to cancel that sense of loneliness that sometimes affects mothers and is at the origin of their malaise during or after pregnancy.
What does it do in practice
In practice, the doula deals with different aspects in the life of the expectant mother. In addition to offering a shoulder to "cry" on and constant psychological support, this figure provides the future mother with a whole range of services such as:
- Suggestions on behaviors to adopt before, during and after childbirth (for example which positions to adopt, which foods to avoid etc.)
- Give clear answers to all the doubts raised by the pregnant woman
- Accompany her on routine visits if the woman has no one else she can rely on
- Provide help in preparing the suitcase for childbirth
- During labor, the doula can perform massages or adopt meditation or aromatherapy techniques to relieve the pain of the parturient.
- Keep her company (at home, on the go and on errands)
- Taking care of the baby so that the mother can devote herself to doing something else or, simply, to rest
- Recommend which valid products to purchase based on your experience
How to become a doule
Today, to become a doule, it is necessary to attend the Doule School offered by the Mondo Doula Professional Association. A training course that prepares the future doula from a practical and mental point of view so that, after the written exams and the internship, she is ready to support the future mother in all aspects of pregnancy, providing her with listening, help and advice.
How much does the doula cost
Usually, the hourly price of a doula fluctuates around 25/30 euros, however, the institutions that provide this service provide some packages to choose from, whose costs are certainly cheaper. Nowadays it is not uncommon for friends or relatives to decide to give the couple about to have a baby the performance of a doula. An undoubtedly welcome gift!
