DOV actively seeks to collaborate with midwives, nurses, and other birth professionals to support practices that facilitate childbirth that is both safe and satisfying. DOV connects women, doulas, and childbirth educators throughout the state and provides opportunities to network, share and organize. DOV is the doula's doula.

Advantages of Labor Support

Having a doula or labor assistant at ones labor and birth can increase mom's confidence, and satisfaction.
Recent controlled trials involving over 1000 women demonstrate that the presence of a doula or labor assistant results in:

50% decrease in cesarean sections

25% decrease in length of labor

30% decrease in use of forceps

40% decrease in use of oxytocin

60% decrease in use of epidurals

30% decrease in use of pain edications          (narcotics)

Longterm benefits of labor support include:

* Improved breastfeeding
* Decreased Postpartum Depression
* Greater Maternal Satisfaction
* Better Mother-Infant Interaction
* Greater Satisfaction with Partner Relationship

Information compiled from Mothering the Mother, by Klaus, Kennell, and Klaus, 1993.

Doula (doo-lah) is an ancient Greek word referring to a woman servant. Today it refers to a woman who provides physical, emotional and educational support to the woman or birthing family.

here are birth doulas who provide prenatal support and are with the woman or couple during their entire labor and birth during which the laboring woman is never left alone. The doula is with the new family right after birth and helps with breastfeeding. She also visits with the new family at home to answer any questions they may have and to review the birth of their child.

Click this link to go to the Cutting Edge Press site www.birthballs.com for several articles- dads and doulas and birth info.

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