Blog / For Families
Our doulas are dedicated to you! Doulas have a very special role in the lives of the families we support. We’ve collected these articles to help families better understand the role and impact doulas have during labor, birth and the postpartum period.
Over 25 years ago, DONA International put doulas on the map and has long been the world leader in defining, training and certifying professional doulas. Our doulas balance professionalism with passion. We practice with deep respect for the families we support and the doctors, midwives and nurses who care for you.
Doula Support for Early Breastfeeding
Happy Breastfeeding Awareness Month! This month, The DONA Doula Chronicles will provide doulas with a series of articles dedicated to breastfeeding so that we can better inform and support nursing mothers. Look for online resources for doulas and much more in the...
Paternal Postpartum Depression
As we think about dads this month, in particular how we as doulas can support fathers during the childbearing year, we wanted to re-share important information about paternal postpartum depression. If you have any additional articles or resources on this topics,...
Dads & Doulas: Myths & Resources
Happy Father’s Day! In the United States, we celebrate dads this Sunday and so it seems like a great time to discuss how doulas support fathers before, during, and after the birth of a baby and share resources for new and expectant fathers. “There was a time when...
ICAN features postpartum doula support after cesarean
While we doulas know that every woman and every birth is unique, a cesarean birth can create special support needs for families, particularly in the postpartum period. Debbie Young, CD(DONA), PCD(DONA) Past President of DONA International shares some of the ways a...
New Research: Premature Birth – Causes & Factors Influencing Outcomes
Premature birth, when a baby arrives before 37 weeks gestation, occurs in 11% of all births in the United States, and 15 million babies are born preterm worldwide. Prematurity is associated with significant and sometimes long term complications for these babies...
Cesarean Awareness Month Film: Trial of Labor
Trial of Labor is a documentary about four women seeking a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). The film is a powerful chronicle of their experiences reflecting on their cesarean births, seeking information about VBAC, navigating care provider and hospital policies,...
Does Vitamin D Deficiency Increase Labor Pain?
Vitamin D is often called “the sunshine vitamin” since it can be absorbed through the skin from the sun. Deficiencies in vitamin D have long been associated with brittle bones and some research has found connections with cancer, autoimmune diseases, high blood...
Flu & Pregnancy – New Research Published
Two studies published this fall provide important information on the flu in pregnancy. First, reviews of Centers for Disease Control data from recent flu outbreaks show that pregnant women who contract the flu are at higher risk for complications and overall have...
Doulas on TV: Frasier to Bones and Beyond
The birth community has been abuzz about the latest portrayal of doulas on a primetime television show. Yes, the doula in Bones was outside of our scope of practice and, in general, did not provide the appropriate emotional, informational and physical support she was...
Do Epidurals Reduce the Risk of Postpartum Depression?
The August edition of the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia has an editorial and a research article on a study conducted in China by Dr. Ting Ding and other researchers discussing a possible link between epidurals and lowered risk of postpartum depression. Given the...
Inspiration from Ina May Gaskin
As we celebrate doulas this month, let’s not forget that the work we do is HARD! Every now and again, we need a little inspiration. How about a 74-year-old world renowned midwife giving a TEDxTalk on minimizing fear of birth? Ina May Gaskin, founder and director of...
Consumer Reports Grades Hospitals on C-Section Rates
Consumer Reports, yes the same organization that rates cars and appliances, has issued a new report evaluating hospitals across the country on their cesarean birth rates. “What Hospitals Don’t Want You to Know About C-sections” is based on the surgical birth rates at...
Study Finds Longer Second Stage With Epidurals
A study recently published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology measured the second phase of labor (complete dilation until birth of the baby) for 42,268 women, comparing the length of this stage for those having an epidural to those who did not. The purpose of...
Updated Hospital Discharge Protocol for Breastfeeding Mothers
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, an international physician organization committed “to the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding,” has released their updated clinical protocol for the discharge of breastfeeding mother-baby pairs. An update to the...
ACOG & SMFM statement: One of the most effective tools to reduce the cesarean rate: doulas!
Yes, dear doulas, you read that correctly. Yesterday the guidelines for the care of women during pregnancy and birth were revised heavily to address the growing rate of surgical birth for first time mothers in the United States. In those new guidelines, doulas were...