Doula FAQs – Doulas in Ireland
Most people have never heard of a doula, let alone know what they do. Yet many women after their births will reflect that they really could have done with someone extra at their birth; someone who was there just for them. Someone who would have supported them and their choices, someone who would have helped them navigate the Irish Maternity System and someone who might have helped them make sense of it all afterwards.
Two mothers speak
“I thought that a doula sounded like a lot of money at the time and I didn’t think that I really needed someone else as I thought that my doctor would be there for me. What I didn’t realise was that my doctor who I had got to know, would not be there for the labour and instead I would be cared for by midwives and doctors I had never seen before. If I had had a doula I would have been more calm and less fearful and less concerned with what was going on around me and more able to focus on coping with my labour”
“I worked out that the amount of money I ended up spending on trying to get breastfeeding sorted when I got back from the hospital might have been better spent on hiring a doula in the first place as she would have guided me and told me what to watch out for after the birth and when I first came home.”
What will having a doula mean to me?
A doula walks the journey of pregnancy and birth with you and your family. she (and very occasionally he), will visit you at home during your pregnancy to get to know you and how to best support you. She will be on call for you from 37-38 weeks to 42 weeks and be able to support you emotionally and with basic comfort measures during early labour at home. She will attend the hospital with you if you are having a hospital birth and support you and your partner during your labour. After you have had your baby she will stay with you for a few hours until you feel happy for her to leave. Whether you have your baby by caesarean or normally your doula will be there to support you.
Here are some common questions people have about doulas:
Do I have to tell my carer that I am bringing in a doula?
Does a doula provide me with any medical care?
What training does a doula have?
Are there any benefits to hiring a doula?