"Doulas are the most positive innovation I've seen. And that's because they fit in anywhere: at home, at the hospital, at birth centers."
- Penny Simkin
“Doula,” a Greek word meaning “a woman who serves,” describes non-medical lay women who support expectant mothers during the end of pregnancy, through labor and delivery, and during the early postpartum period. There are two types of doulas: Birth Doulas and Postpartum Doulas.
Birth Doulas have been expertly trained to support women in labor and to help comfort and ease the pains of labor. They specifically serve women from the end of their pregnancy, at the onset of labor, and through the first few hours of the birth of the baby. Lubbock, TX birth doulas do not perform clinical tasks such as fetal heart tone monitoring or internal exams. Instead, a birth doula’s purpose is to support the laboring mother both physically and mentally to help her achieve the birth experience she desires. Techniques used during labor include massage, aroma therapy and breathing, and includes helping the mother in self-hypnosis.
A Postpartum Doula is a woman who has been trained to help families cope and adjust to the addition of a new baby. Lubbock postpartum doulas offer information and support in feeding the infant, mental and physical recovery after giving birth, and infant soothing and coping skills. They also provide help around the house which includes light cleaning and meal preparation. A good postpartum doula’s best attribute is listening to the mother and tending to her needs/worries.