Doulas are people who I didn’t even know existed a few years ago; that’s how medicalized birth is around here. But when I began learning about them, I thought "wow, wouldn’t it have been amazing to have a doula when I was having children?" Maybe my own kids will be lucky enough to have that option.
To learn what a doula is, we had some wonderful posts from Meredith Hocking, who graciously wrote about what and who a doula is:

What is a doula?
Part 2 of What is a doula?
Last installment: What is a doula?

And, she even wrote about how dads and …read more

Womb Within is very lucky because we have our very own doula who pops in occasionally to write about doulas and what they do for pregnant women and their families (Womb Within has its very own doula).
Meredith does a wonderful job explaining many things about doulas – you can find all her posts by either going to the “doula” section in the sidebar or by typing “doula” in the search box. But, did you know that doulas are also responsible for helping lower the rate of Cesarean sections and epidurals during labor and delivery?
A 5-year study, which was published earlier …read more

 
D is for dictionary so you can look up all these words.
 
 
D is also for:
Dilation: As you prepare to have your baby, your cervix will begin to open, to dilate. It will deliver – believe it or not – to 10 centimeters. That’s not quite 4 inches.
Due date: The date of delivery, or the due date, is estimated based on a 40 week pregnancy (280 days). A good number of women, actually most of them, don’t deliver on their due date, but usually within a week before or after.
Doula: A doula is a woman who is hired …read more

I’ve done round-up posts over at Help My Hurt, but I don’t think I’ve done one here yet. I  like to do top 5 or top 10 popular posts because I think it helps me better understand what people are looking for. Hmm, I wonder if I should do a bottom 10 posts, just for the fun of it!
Anyway, here we go, the top 10 posts of the week:
1- No surprise for this one and you still have a few days to enter (until July 14):  3 books to give away. Few things better than reading to your little ones
2- This …read more

Finding and Choosing a Doula
(Womb Within has its very own doula)
So you think a doula is a good idea! That’s terrific. But the next question is usually “so how do I find one?” There are a number of options:
Ask your friends and other people you know who have given birth in the past 5 years if they used a doula or know of any.
Contact your local pregnancy resource center or birth center.
Ask your midwife or doctor. Midwives often work with doulas and some have collaborative practices. Doctors may have met doulas who accompanied some of their patients, and may be …read more

Dads and Doulas
(Womb Within has its very own doula)
Susan had been thinking about hiring a doula to support her goal of an unmedicated, low-intervention birth. Her husband, Jeff, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure. He felt like having a stranger at what he considered an intimate experience would be intrusive. He didn’t want someone taking his place. He believed he could support Susan during labor just fine, and didn’t know what a doula could do that he couldn’t. After all, he was going to childbirth classes with Susan, and he could do that ‘hee-hee-hoo’ business just as well as …read more

So far, we’ve learned what a doula does (What is a doula?) and what services she offers, as well as her training (Part 2 of What is a doula?).
In this last installment, we learn what an optimal birth experience could be.
What is a doula? (Part 3 of 3)
by Meredith Hocking, Birth Doula (Womb Within has its very own doula)
So what is an optimal birth experience? It is not the doula’s optimal birth experience, but the mother’s. A doula’s role is to help the mother define this for herself, and then encouraging her to make informed choices during pregnancy and labor …read more

On May 26, we had the first part of What is a doula?. Here is part 2.
What is a doula? (part 2 of 3)
What doulas offer and their training
By Meredith Hocking, Birth Doula (Womb Within has its very own doula)
Birth doulas offer a variety of services, from childbirth classes to birth photography, help with writing a birth plan, and breastfeeding support. Postpartum doulas work with moms after they are back home, assisting with infant-parent bonding, breastfeeding, older children, and household tasks like laundry, light cleaning, and meal preparation. Some doulas provide both labor and postpartum services.
Statistically, women who have the …read more

What is a doula?
by Meredith Hocking, Birth Doula (Womb Within has its very own doula)
Since the dawn of time, bearing children was a rite of passage, a coming-of-age, and – as such – women have attended women in childbirth. Her sisters, mothers, and girlfriends would gather to provide support – physical, mental, and emotional – during her labor, delivery, and “lying-in” (postpartum).
In early labor, they would help keep the laboring woman distracted, with stories, cooking, and walking. Later, as her labor intensified, they would stroke her, soothe her, and apply comfort techniques handed down for generations. After the baby arrived, …read more

I am thrilled to tell you we have our very own doula here at Womb Within, Meredith Hocking. Meredith will be posting on the different aspects of being a doula.
Meredith is a DONA-trained doula, mother of two very active boys, and wife of a very tolerant man. She believes in the innate strength and wisdom of women, and hopes that all women have birth experiences of which they are proud.
Meredith had two unmedicated hospital births (1997 and 1999), with the support of her mother. She became a doula in 2006 because she had always felt called to be …read more