Welcome to Altagrace Doula!
I offer comprehensive, inclusive, and nurturing birth doula services based in to Orange County, CA and the surrounding area. Feel free to contact me to learn more about my services, and to to see if I could be a good fit for you and your growing family.
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Visit Evidence Based Birth to learn more about the research on and benefits of doulas »
Doula is a Greek word meaning “woman who serves,” and a birth doula is a woman that serves and accompanies a woman during labor and birth. A doula is a trained birth supporter and experienced in birth, although not necessarily a parent themselves. Women supporting women during birth is an ancient tradition that is now being brought into modern times through the role of the doula.
A doula is a continuous labor support companion who supports a birthing person - and partner - with emotional, physical, and informational support during labor, birth, and the immediate postpartum hours. Their responsibility is solely to the birthing person - not hospitals or care providers - and a doula stays by the birthing person’s side as other care providers come and go.
A doula can also help educate expectant parents on their options in childbirth, explore their birth preferences, and help them gather the information they need to make informed decisions about their care. It is customary for doulas to provide immediate postpartum care in the first hour(s) following birth when they might help with basic lactation support and getting the newly formed family as comfortable as possible. Most doulas will offer a follow-up visit in their client’s home in the days/weeks following the birth.
Doulas work in all birth settings: home, birth center and hospital. A doula does not project her own preferences onto the birthing person, but supports the birthing person in their choices.
The doula’s role and tasks are distinct from those of medical personnel. Doulas only provide nonclinical care anchored in physical, emotional, and informational/educational support.
Birth doulas do not perform any clinical tasks (e.g. take temperature, listen to fetal heart tones, perform vaginal exams), prescribe treatments or medication, diagnose conditions or offer up second opinions. Doulas do not make decisions for you or speak to the care provider on your behalf.
A common misconception about birth doulas is that their presence will displace or make the partner and/or other support people redundant. A doula works with the partner and/or other support people, and will help everyone work together to form the best possible team for the birthing person. Partners play a vital role during birth, but we often forget that they may also face anxiety and pressure as they are not intimately familiar with birth, and they too benefit from an extra set of hands. A doula can support a partner by helping them meet their own needs, answering any questions that may arise, and gently making suggestions in how they can support the birthing person more effectively.
In early labor, and before going to the planned birth location, a doula can be instrumental in helping a birthing person relax and preserve as much energy as possible.
A doula helps the birthing person manage through the contractions and relax in between contractions through comfort measures such as breathing, visualization, arranging a shower or bath, applying hot or cold compresses, providing counter-pressure or massage. A doula can encourage hydration and nourishment, as well as changing positions and movement to promote labor progress and enhance comfort. An important aspect of a doula’s role is providing emotional support such as praise, reassurance, and encouragement. A doula can also help create a familiar and calming birth setting.
During the birthing time, a doula can help the birthing person gather the information they need to make informed decisions, flag if something is incompatible with their birth preferences, and encourage them to ask questions of their care provider. A doula can also keep the birthing person and partner abreast of what is going on in the birthing room, who is present, and what course of action care providers are recommending, bridging potential communication gaps between the client and their care provider.
A doula’s nonclinical and continuous care can help improve obstetric and psychosocial outcomes, and reduce complications for the birthing person and baby. Research has shown that not only are birthing persons who are supported by a doula more satisfied with their childbirth experiences, they are also less likely to use drugs to augment labor, less likely to need pain medication, and less likely to have a Cesarean birth.
A doula is also connected to local resources in the birth community, and usually maintains a network of other birth professionals who offer complementary services. If something is outside of the doula’s scope of practice, she can make referrals to other birth professionals such as massage therapists, chiropractors, postpartum doulas, and childbirth educators.
A doula’s continuous presence, praise, encouragement, and reassurance can help anchor, comfort, and empower the birthing person, even when fear, discomfort, and self-doubt are present.
