The birth of a baby can be a profound life changing experience for the parents and other family members.  A new or larger family is formed after pregnancy and birth.  The ways in which a woman, baby, partner and family members transition to a new or larger family have a long-term impact on their physical and emotional health.  The postpartum doula fills a large gap in maternity care and is able to facilitate a smooth rewarding transition.

Many new parents are unaware of what constitutes normal growth and development as well as normal postpartum recovery for the mother.  Examples include:

• Responsibility for dependent newborn
• Sleeplessness
• Infant feeding and lactation
• Recovery from childbirth
• Understanding of and adjustment to the unique personality of their baby
• Baby equipment
• Organizing the household and nursery

The benefits of having a birth doula:

•  Decreased medical intervention in labor
•  Increased satisfaction with her partner and her birth experience
•  Reduces the overall cesarean rate by 50%
•  Reduces use and request of pain medication by 28%
•  Reduces dissatisfaction with birth by 33%
•  Reduces length of labor by 25% to 50%