Perinatal Monitoring

The doula is a protective maternal figure who stands beside another mother to listen to, protect, support and respond to her needs. This is why the doula is said to be a "mother to the mother". The doula does not replace the father, partner, or any other relative or professional in the delivery setting. The doula's actions are never driven by her ego but by her sensitivity and unconditional love. The doulas do not perform any medical act or medical advice but should have a good understanding of the physiology of childbirth and the postnatal period so that they can offer support and guidance to help the woman find the best solutions for her case.

A doula is usually a woman with maternity experience, who is at her mother's side during her delivery, helping her to feel secure so that she can more easily give birth. Generally, the doula knows the during pregnancy, establishing a relationship of trust essential to the follow-up of childbirth. During labor, the doula is with the mother, maintaining a discreet, reassuring presence and creating a sphere of protection around her, ensuring the satisfaction of her basic needs, privacy, security, dim light, reduced language use and thermal comfort, thus favoring the proper performance of physiological labor. In the hospital, the doula is a particularly important resource because the woman is in an unfamiliar environment, medical staff are not available to provide continuous assistance, and the father often does not feel truly comfortable to be with the mother, do not know how to help and can learn. But it is important to clarify that the doula does not pretend to be a substitute for the father. It also conveys peace of mind to the father, who can help him provide better support to his mate, or feel free to move away and rest for a while. The mother can relax, knowing that she is not putting that pressure on her father to accompany her through the process. The doula is a support not only for the mother but also for the couple, whose aim is always to create a harmonious environment around the mother and reduce her anxiety, since this will facilitate labor. The doula also functions as an interface between the mother and the hospital staff, defending her interests and desires regarding her delivery. Doula support can continue in the postpartum through some visits to the mother, making tea or a meal, doing little housework to allow the mother to spend more and better time with her baby in the early days. In other countries there are postpartum doulas specialized in this type of assistance. The doula is today a professional of the humanization of childbirth who sees childbirth as a normal and meaningful event in women's lives and understands it as a physiological process that can not be separated from the physical, psychological, sexual, affective and spiritual feminine being.