What does a doula do?
Birth doula
The most common duties for a labor/birth doula are things like pregnancy and birth education, helping establish a birth plan, helping mom to have a voice and advocate for herself, and maintain connected support during the stages of labor and birth.
Support for mom during labor can look like
affirmations
changing positions
massage
music
aromatherapy
visualizations
postpartum Doula
Some duties for a postpartum doula include creating a postpartum plan, newborn education, feeding support, checking in on mom's well being and physical recovery, assisting with newborn care, offering emotional support, and lending a helping hand to with some household tasks.
Postpartum support for mom can look like
assisting with baby care, diapering or feeding
bottle or breastfeeding support
light housework
snack preparation
mental health check-ins