The aim of a doula is to provide woman-to-woman support for the birthing mother. Her ultimate goal is a positive transition for the new family, whether it is a woman's first child or one of many. She is trained to provide continuous physical and emotional support to the mother during labor, birth and the postpartum period. She facilitates communication between the woman, her partner, and her clinical care providers. She is a resource person who provides objective information from varied sources, allowing the couple to identify their options, to make informed choices, and to demystify the hospital birthing process.

What do I need to know about doulas?

The doula is a trained and experienced support person, often with children herself, who understands the needs of the birthing mother.  She has studied the physiology of birth and can provide not only emotional support, but also physical comfort measures such as massage, hot and cold compresses, focusing, and other inventive pain control techniques.
The doula believes that the birth day is one of the most important in the woman's life - how she gives birth will affect how she mothers. It is a day the mother's wishes should be respected, and she should be treated with care. However, if interventions become necessary, the doula is there to help the laboring woman through this difficult period, to explain to her the procedures, and to provide emotional support.
Many studies have been done on the effects of doula support on labor and the early postpartum period. The presence of a constant supportive companion, along with a loving partner, reduces feelings of anxiety and tension in the laboring mother. This changes her perception of pain, reduces the need for medication, and decreases the number of interventions. Studies have shown that professional labor support has contributed to the improved physical and emotional well-being of mothers and infants. Statistics have shown consistently that interventions of all types decrease with the presence of a constant birth companion. Also, the new mother's feeling of satisfaction with the birthing experience is greater with the presence of a labor support woman.
Even when events occur which the birthing family could not predict or did not plan for, the prepared birthing woman with good support can better cope with the unexpected.

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How do I find a doula? 

You've started in the right place!  Since your doula is going to share a very intimate part of your life, you should make sure you find the doula who is right for you.

You will want to find someone you feel comfortable with, whose ideas about birth seem right to you. You will want someone who is comfortable with your choice of caregiver and place of birth, and who is comfortable with your partner.

I organize and run your prenatal classes; provide primary labor support, postnatal care and pregnancy consultations. I work with a good support network so that you are taken care of at all times in many ways. I have trained doulas who provide back-up for me in the rare instances that I cannot make it to a birth. I also train doulas, so occasionally a mother will be asked if she would mind an extra support person to help her through her labor. I have volunteers who are willing to help with extraordinary needs. I also have a list of resources in and around Montreal for the pregnant, birthing, or nursing mother.