Non-medical companion who supports a person through significant health-related experiences
For other uses, see Doula (disambiguation).
A doula (left) guiding a pregnant woman in preparation for labor. Comforting touch can help alleviate contractions during labor. The ball and childbirth position are also important.
A doula (/ˈduːlə/; from Ancient Greek δούλα 'female slave'; Greek pronunciation:[ˈðula]) is a trained professional who provides expert guidance for the service of others and who supports another person (the doula's client) through a significant health-related experience, such as childbirth, miscarriage, induced abortion or stillbirth, as well as non-reproductive experiences such as dying.[1][2][3][4] A doula might also provide support to the client's partner, family, and friends.[5][6]
The doula's goal and role is to help the client feel safe and comfortable, complementing the role of the healthcare professionals who provide the client's medical care. Unlike a physician, midwife, or nurse, a doula cannot administer medication or other medical treatment or give medical advice.[7][2] An individual might need to complete training to work as a doula, although training and certification processes vary throughout the world.[7][3][4][8]
Some doulas work as volunteers; others are paid for their services by their client, medical institutions, or other private and public organizations. Doulas receive varying amounts of training, and their professionalism also varies.[4][9]
The contributions of doulas during reproductive experiences and end-of-life care have been studied and have been shown to benefit their clients.[4][10][11][12] For example, a birth doula providing support during childbirth might increase likelihood of vaginal birth (rather than Caesarean section), decrease the need for pain medication during labor, and improve the perception of the birthing experience.[13][14]
The benefits of a doula providing other types of support have been less well studied, but might improve a client's experience with medical care or help an individual cope with health transitions.[15][16][4][17]
^Morton CH (2014). Birth ambassadors : doulas and the re-emergence of woman-supported birth America. Praeclarus Press, LLC. pp. 33–34. ISBN 978-1-939807-06-9. OCLC 876741292.
^ ab"What is a Doula". DONA International. Retrieved 2019-08-13.
^ abMahoney M, Mitchell L (2016-10-17). The Doulas: Radical Care for Pregnant People. The Feminist Press at CUNY. ISBN 9781558619494.
^ abcdeRawlings D, Tieman J, Miller-Lewis L, Swetenham K (May 2019). "What role do Death Doulas play in end-of-life care? A systematic review". Health & Social Care in the Community. 27 (3): e82–e94. doi:10.1111/hsc.12660. PMID 30255588.
^"Evidence on: Doulas". Evidence Based Birth®. 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2019-03-30.
^Simkin P, Rohs K (2018-10-09). The birth partner : a complete guide to childbirth for dads, doulas, and other labor companions (5th ed.). Beverly, MA, USA. ISBN 978-1558329102. OCLC 1000126985.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ abCite error: The named reference Kennel22 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Steel A, Frawley J, Adams J, Diezel H (May 2015). "Trained or professional doulas in the support and care of pregnant and birthing women: a critical integrative review". Health & Social Care in the Community. 23 (3): 225–41. doi:10.1111/hsc.12112. PMID 24942339.
^Lantz PM, Low LK, Varkey S, Watson RL (2005). "Doulas as childbirth paraprofessionals: results from a national survey". Women's Health Issues. 15 (3): 109–16. doi:10.1016/j.whi.2005.01.002. PMID 15894196.
^Cite error: The named reference :032 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Bohren MA, Hofmeyr GJ, Sakala C, Fukuzawa RK, Cuthbert A (July 2017). "Continuous support for women during childbirth". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 7 (7): CD003766. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003766.pub6. PMC 6483123. PMID 28681500.
^Fukuzawa RK, Kondo KT (December 2017). "A holistic view from birth to the end of life: end-of-life doulas and new developments in end-of-life care in the West". International Journal of Palliative Nursing. 23 (12): 612–619. doi:10.12968/ijpn.2017.23.12.612. PMID 29272199.
^Bohren MA, Hofmeyr GJ, Sakala C, Fukuzawa RK, Cuthbert A, et al. (Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group) (July 2017). "Continuous support for women during childbirth". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 7 (8): CD003766. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003766.pub6. PMC 6483123. PMID 28681500.
^Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Chor J, Lyman P, Tusken M, Patel A, Gilliam M (March 2016). "Women's experiences with doula support during first-trimester surgical abortion: a qualitative study". Contraception. 93 (3): 244–8. doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2015.10.006. PMC 4766033. PMID 26480890.
^Altshuler AL, Whaley NS (December 2018). "The patient perspective: perceptions of the quality of the abortion experience". Current Opinion in Obstetrics & Gynecology. 30 (6): 407–413. doi:10.1097/GCO.0000000000000492. PMID 30299320. S2CID 52937963.
^Balas MC, Gale M, Kagan SH (August 2004). "Delirium doulas: an innovative approach to enhance care for critically ill older adults". Critical Care Nurse. 24 (4): 36–46. doi:10.4037/ccn2004.24.4.36. PMID 15341233.
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