In honor of International Doula Month, Tulsa County BirthNetwork hosted an informational event called Dou-What? Dou-How? Dou-Why? where local Birth and Postpartum Doulas shared about the benefits of professional, continuous support during labor and postpartum.
As always, we had lots of free information available to attendees.
We even had lots of copies of the TulsaKids Magazine’s Baby Guide and copies of the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative!
Doulas are professional labor companions who accompany women before, during and just after childbirth, offering physical, emotional and informational support. Studies show doulas reduce the length of labor and medical interventions and increase women’s satisfaction in childbirth! You can learn more about the benefits of doula support at DONA International.
Chris Maricle, Certified Doula and Childbirth Educator from New Joy Christian Childbirth shared with the group about what doulas do. Next, Brooke White, Certified Doula and Childbirth Educator from Better Birth Now shared about how to hire a doula. Sarah Coffin, Certified Doula with Compassionate Doula Care explained to the group about why it’s so important to hire doulas, then Calista Firor, Certified Labor and Postpartum Doula with Epiphany Doula talked more in depth about postpartum doula services.
After the speakers, attendees had the opportunity to move about the room and visit various comfort measure stations where the volunteer doulas demonstrated the many ways they assist women during the birth process and in the postpartum period.
Side-lying can be a very comforting resting position.
Rebozos can assist with squatting and relieving back pressure.
Postpartum support helps reduce the incidence of postpartum depression and can increase breastfeeding success.
Lunging and other standing positions are helpful when moving around for comfort during labor.
Counter pressure can relieve the stress of back labor and other discomfort that occurs as labor progresses.
The girls at the Resting Positions station seemed to be having more fun than the other stations!
The Peanut Ball helps to open the pelvis and make way for the baby to descend.
Many women find sitting and rocking on the Birth Ball a very comfortable way to labor.
Doulas often come equipped with a variety of massage tools to offer relief and comfort to laboring women.
If you’re interested in hiring a doula for your birth, take a look at the following websites to find a doula in the Tulsa area:
There were plenty of happy faces and cute babies!
Local Certified Nurse Midwife, Linda Roberts shared about natural ways to encourage the onset of labor and how it is best to wait for labor to begin on its own if there is no medical need to induce. 
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