Explanation of Various Professionals

Doula


What is a Doula? It is a Greek word with a general meaning of ‘mothering the mother’, ‘being with woman’, It refers to a woman experienced in labour and birthing who provides information, continuous physical and emotional support during pregnancy, labour, birth and post-natally.

Advantages of Professional Labour Support


  • Continuity of care – Birth Right™ doulas will provide telephone/email access, as well as face to face meetings during pregnancy. She will provide support for you throughout your labour, both at home and the place of your birth and offer post-natal support.
  • Support for partner - this means that Dad’s can play a role that they feel comfortable with. It reduces the pressure on them, and allows them to feel safe and enjoy the experience at their own level.
  • Excellent information source – you don’t have to worry about forgetting all the information that you learned in pre-natal classes.
  • Trust - you will have already built up a relationship of trust with your doula, which will help you to feel safe in labour. Those women who feel safe and well supported generally have shorter labours and feel more positive about their birthing experience.
  • Research shows that with the continuous support from a caring woman (doula) this can REDUCE:
    • Length of labour
    • Need for drugs for pain relief
    • No Need for an episiotomy
    • No Need for forceps/ventouse
    • No Need for a Caesarean section
    • No Women report less pain and anxiety in labour
    • No Women breastfeed for long
    • Experience less post-natal depression
WHO (World Health Organisation) states: Giving birth is a natural process that should not be interfered with unless absolutely medically necessary.

Midwife


A Midwife specializes in caring for normal pregnancy, labour and birth and post-natally. Most Midwives have trained as a general nurse, followed by a post graduate degree in Midwifery. Many Midwives have other qualifications, eg. specializing in education, post-natal care, neonatal intensive care nursing. Many women choose a midwifery model of care. Most public hospitals offer a number of different models of care. It is important for women to ‘shop around’. Midwives work as independent practitioners both within the hospital system and privately, generally as a home birth Midwife.  Widwives support women in their choices, offer holistic care, and promote normal birth.  WHO (World Health Organisation) recommend recommend that healthy women have midwifery care.

Obstetrician


An Obstetrician is a medical Doctor who specializes in looking after medical problems in pregnancy, labour and birth. There are few women in this category. Eg. An Obstetrician may care for a woman who has very high blood pressure or an I.D.D. (insulin dependent diabetic), placenta praevia. Some women choose to have an Obstetrician as their caregiver.

Anaesthetist

An Anaesthetist is a medical Doctor who specializes in administering anaesthetics, eg. An epidural


Childbirth Educator


There are many people offering childbirth education courses. Many of them are Midwives who have also completed Childbirth Education training. Most hospitals offer classes. It is advantageous to ‘shop around’ and book into an independent class in the community where you will be able to explore information presented in an unbiased and objective way. These courses are not restricted by hospital ‘policies’