I understand that Pregnancies and families come in all sorts of shapes & sizes, and I lovingly welcome and support single parents, lgbtqia+, surrogacy, adoptions, different bodied, and all other marginalized people welcoming a baby into their life.
myth one
The only people that hire doulas are “crunchy” or “hippies” who are giving birth at home, and against any and all pain medication.
This is something that I have heard a million times, but it’s not at all true! Having a doula is for every kind of birth you can think of, none are off limits! A doula will give support and be there no matter how or where you desire to give birth. About pain medication.. the choice is completely up to the birthing person! There is research that shows that having the continuous support of a doula can decrease the use of pain medication and administration of epidurals. THIS is a great article on having a doula even with an epidural by Robin Elise Weiss, PhD. I will support you in every choice you make along the way, no matter what!
myth two
A doula replaces partners/dads role during labor and birth.
My goodness, no! I understand how this could get mixed up but let me tell you a few reasons that having a doula present is just as beneficial for partners:
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doulas allow partners to remain present and focused solely on the birthing person, while the the doula focuses on you both and handle extraneous issues
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doulas allow the partner to take breaks without leaving the birthing person alone; labors can be long & everyone needs a bathroom break now and again
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there’s less pressure on partners to be all things at once, doulas help with communication and balance in the birth environment
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partners have reported they felt increased confidence in their own ability to help the birthing person when a doula was present
There are so many awesome resources to learn more about how much a doula can benefit a partner as well, but here’s a few just to get you started!
15 powerful ways birth doulas support partners during labor
myth three
Hiring a doula is new, trendy, and only for wealthy people.
This could not be more false! While the professional title of “birth doula” may be a newer term, the support that doulas provide has been a key part of childbirth since the beginning of time.
For centuries, people gave birth surrounded by people within their communities who had already been through childbirth and could provide helpful support. When hospital birth became the standard in the early 1900’s, this reality dissipated as birthing people experienced labor and childbirth largely alone and unsupported. Thankfully, later in the 20th century, it was realized that this was not ideal, and so the profession of doula arose between the 1960’s and 1980’s; however, the concept of community support during labor and childbirth is as old as time itself.
