Dou.lah
A doula is a trained companion who is not a medical professional.
They support you through significant health-related experiences, such as childbirth, miscarriage, stillbirth, and/or non-reproductive experiences like death and dying.
A doula’s primary function is to be present & support.
What is A Doula?
The word “doula” is an umbrella term for :
a person who provides emotional, physical, educational and community support to an individual , their partner(s), and/or family.
In essence, they serve and support their community .
There are many kinds of doulas: childbirth, postpartum, abortion, fertility, sexuality, gender and death doulas. They all have different roles but one thing they have in common is that doulas are not medical care providers and do not give medical advice. Rather, we serve as a compass pointing you in the direction to the necessary care professional.
When you think of a doula think of ears listening and shoulders on which to lean and cry. Someone who is with you from the beginning and can accompany you on your journey.
Founding member and Doula of 17 years Suzanne Lim shares about her experience in the profession in this short film.
“ Providing good care to a client is so fulfilling. It feels valuable and right…Like I am contributing to a primal process in an essential way. “
- Suzanne Lim
Links to Doula Support Studies for Further Learning
Doula’s Role
Evidence Based Birth - Evidence on Doula Support (Dekker, 2019)
Doulas’ and Other Birth Supports
Evidence Based Birth - Evidence on Doula Support (Dekker, 2019)
A randomized controlled trial of continuous labor support for middle-class couples: effect on cesarean delivery rates (McGrath & Kennell, 2008)
Benefits of Doula Care
Evidence Based Birth - Evidence on Doula Support (Dekker, 2019)
Randomized Controlled Trial of Doula-Home-Visiting Services: Impact on Maternal and Infant Health (Hans, Edwards, & Zhang, 2018)
Additional Readings:
Potential benefits of increased access to doula support during childbirth
Breastfeeding and Complementary Food: Randomized Trial of Community Doula Home Visiting
At The OBDS…
We see doulas as professionalized community members. People in community who serve as bridges between the community and westernized systems of medicine, services, and care.
We believe that there is a fundamental need for the community to be part of the child-raising process, and that currently there is a severe lack in that traditional process. We take seriously the proverb:
“It takes a village to raise our children”
The goal of Ontario Black Doula society is to ensure that the community is served, seen and supported by people who look, live, and love like them.