Organize your local midwives, doulas, childbirth educators, and any other advocates of natural childbirth in your community into a birth network.
Recent studies show women supported by doulas have shorter labours and lower rates of caesarean section deliveries.
We also should be aware of alternative sources of support personnel, such as local doulas or training programs for medical students or midwives.
Hospitals now have birthing rooms with hot tubs and dim lights and accept the help of doulas to support the mother in having her ideal birth plan.
Find experienced midwives and doulas and save the hospital births for those women who truly need them.
A birth doula can be booked to support you during labour and immediately afterwards, see Families South West Magazine June 2002 issue or our feature on doulas for more.
A recent large RCT demonstrated that providing continuous labor support with nurses instead of doulas had no effect on cesarean delivery rates or other birth outcomes.
Other choices, such as labor support and doulas, nonpharmacologic pain-relief methods, and pharmacologic pain-relief methods other than intravenous narcotics or epidurals, should be available.
Most doulas are knowledgeable about resources such as lactation consultants and support groups.
Yes, there are support groups, doulas, and many other compensatory measures emerging.
Because most births continue to take place in hospitals and because mothers and fathers need support and guidance, the hospital setting is where doulas provide labor support most of the time.
Every year I am approached by new doulas or students who are currently in the process of their training and becoming certified for the first time.
