Recently, Katie Moore contacted me and asked whether she could write a guest post for my blog. Here it is:
Any mother can attest to the fact
that giving birth and the time afterwards can be a challenge. Many women opt to have a doula help them
through the transition into motherhood. Doulas are trained to help a mother before,
during and after childbirth. Their skills actually allow them to be useful long
after the birth of a child, not only the immediate days following birth. The use of doulas is associated with
increased maternal health and can be helpful to a mother throughout her
postpartum period.
The job of a doula is to help a
mother learn and enjoy the experience of raising a child. When used before delivery, a doula can be an
educational resource, teaching the mother about options like pain management, umbilical cord blood banking, immunizations
and circumcision. They can work with a mother to create a birth plan and work
to have that plan carried out in the delivery room.
A postpartum
doula performs a variety of jobs in an effort to allow a mother to
experience success in raising her child, and to eventually diminish the need
for a doula. Postpartum doulas will stay
with a mother as long as she is needed.
This can range from just a few visits to a few months of service. Depending on the needs of the mother, a doula
can be with the mother and child during the day, night, or even overnight.
Doulas are very helpful during the
postpartum period because they give the mother tips on how to handle their new
child. A doula will help the mother gain
confidence and experience so that when the doula is gone, the mother has
successfully transitioned into motherhood.
The main concern that many
mothers may have is worrying about developing postpartum
depression. While a doula is not a
trained counselor, she is very helpful in preventing this type of
depression. A doula is there to ensure a
new mother isn’t thrust headfirst into motherhood alone. She can help a mother slowly transition into
her new role. Doulas will also coach the mother on how to eat right and make
sure she gets enough sleep. All of these
tasks will make sure that becoming a new mother is not overbearing for the
mother, and may help prevent postpartum depression.
Another worry that some women
have is that a doula could interfere with their planned parental approach, but
this is simply not true. Doulas are
trained to support the mother’s particular parenting approach regardless of
what it might be. A doula is not there
to tell a mother how to raise her child; she is there simply to assist the
mother in doing so. Doulas will listen
to the needs of the mother and child, and even encourage the mother to develop
her own parenting styles and philosophies.
Katie
is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children,
fitness, health and all other things Mommy.
She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie
contact her via her blog, MooreFrom Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.
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