Benefits of the doula profession

In an article published on November 20 and signed by three doctors, I find it intriguing how Doctors for Choice choose to include the word ‘doula’ to offer a support service meant for persons considering a termination of a pregnancy. This ‘Abortion Doula Service’ is advertised as being provided by medical doctors.

I also find it intriguing how the doula profession is generally looked down upon in Malta, except when necessary to expedite an agenda. A doula is usually a non-medical person, specifically trained to support a mother and her family psychologically and emotionally on a one-to-one basis throughout their parenting journey.

A doula helping a pregnant woman. Photo: Shutterstock.com

In the modern world, there are qualified pregnancy doulas, birth doulas, postpartum doulas and bereavement doulas. They mostly work together with midwives, both in hospitals and at homebirths. Attending recent online conferences meant for the profession, I was “surprised” that a significant number of attendees were qualified midwives!

It is telling how medically trained persons are suddenly feeling a call for the non-medical doula profession, which supports families on a totally different level than what their medical training offered them.

Is the system not catering to the parents’ needs? 

While a doula can choose a specific area of expertise, she usually provides continuity-of-care through pregnancy, birth and postpartum. There are numerous evidence-based benefits of having a birth doula service, some of which include: 50 per cent reduction rate in c-section; 40 per cent reduction in the rate of forceps deliveries; 60 per cent reduction in request for epidural; decrease in labour length by 25 per cent; more satisfaction with the birth experience both for the mother and her partner; more success with breastfeeding; less postnatal depression; higher Apgar scores for babies.

With all the above, it is high time the pregnancy/birth/postpartum doula profession is considered as an asset within the maternity services.

As an experienced teacher, childbirth educator and doula over the past 45 years, I would certainly like to promote the word ‘doula’ in the context where it deserves to be: positively educating, empowering and encouraging young parents to bring out the best of themselves and their little ones and not as a mere facilitator of the pro-choice movement.

Marianne Theuma ‒ Marsascala