Doulas
Quebec / Levis
The question everyone is asking...
What is a Doula?
There are several types of doula and each of them covers their sector, has their own personality and style of support. However, some aspects are common to all these wonderful people.
Kindness
They are attentive to the families they support by their listening and their openness to their needs, ignoring their personal biases.
Respect and Defense
They are committed to respecting the rights, wishes, choices and values of the families they support. They campaign so that families do not go about asserting their rights but that they go without saying.
Altruism
Being a doula is a job of the heart. They are dedicated to supporting families on the different paths they cross in their lives through emotional, physical and informative support.
Power
Doulas are committed to the empowerment of the people they support. They must not only be the actor of their experience but also the author of it to emerge fully satisfied, grown and proud following the stage of life they have just passed through.
Types of doula
A fertility doula (some also use the terms conception or infertility) supports people who wish to conceive, regardless of the method chosen (symptothermal method, fertility clinic, insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF), etc. ).
The services of a fertility doula can include information meetings, accompanying you to your clinical appointments, creating a fertility plan, providing you with resources and referring you to additional care, etc. . They offer support, listening, compassion, understanding and resources to support couples in their desire to conceive.
Text taken from the website of the Association Québécoise des Doulas (AQD)
FAQ
What is the difference between a Midwife and a Doula?
Doulas and midwives both provide important support to families expecting a child, but their roles and areas of expertise are different. 1. Doula: - A doula is a person trained to provide emotional, physical and informational support to a pregnant person before, during and after childbirth. - Doulas provide non-medical support, meaning they do not provide medical or clinical care, such as taking blood pressure, performing vaginal exams, or providing medical advice. - Their role is to emotionally support the person giving birth and their partner (or the person accompanying them), to inform them about birth options, to help them develop a birth plan. The doula can accompany you during labor, using relaxation, breathing and comfort techniques. 2. Midwife: - A midwife is a health professional, with a university degree, who provides primary health care to women throughout pregnancy, labor, childbirth and the postnatal period, as well as to newborns. - Midwives are qualified to provide medical care, including prenatal examination, obstetric care during labor, delivery assistance, and postnatal care for mother and baby. - They can also prescribe medications, perform medical examinations and diagnose complications. In summary, doulas provide emotional, non-medical support during pregnancy and childbirth, while midwives are healthcare professionals who provide comprehensive medical care to pregnant women, including obstetric care and interventions. medical if necessary.
How much do doula services cost?
The price of services varies from one doula to another. What is included in the services, the experience of the accompanying person as well as several other factors can affect the price set by the doulas who are members of our site. Being self-employed, setting their rate remains at their discretion. However, to help pay for the services, it is possible to look with your doula at the possibility of making a gentle payment agreement, to have gift certificates that your friends and family can offer you or to look with your insurance companies. if the service is covered and if the doula offers receipts. You can also search our directory with the receipt criteria as well as the “economic vulnerability” inclusiveness criteria. The doulas who have checked this last criterion are familiar with people living with issues of this nature and are aware of this reality. Please note, doulas who have not checked this option are not insensitive to this reality, they simply do not feel equipped to adequately support these families for various personal reasons.
A birth doula is against interventions?
Absolutely not! A doula is not automatically against medical interventions during childbirth. The primary role of a doula is to provide emotional, physical and informational support to parents before, during and after childbirth, helping them make informed decisions and advocate for their birth preferences. This may include medical interventions if they are necessary for the health and safety of the mother and baby. However, doulas often favor a woman-centered (or birthing person-centered) approach, meaning that they generally support parents' informed and respectful choices regarding their birth. They can encourage parental autonomy in the birth process and help them understand the risks and benefits of different medical interventions, as well as the alternative options available. In summary, although some doulas may have personal preferences for low-medical births, their main role is to support parents in their choices and accompany them whatever the course of the birth.
What is the training of a doula
Several training courses and courses exist. In Quebec, there are several schools that offer basic birth attendant training as well as additional training to deepen certain subjects or skills. Some doulas also choose to seek training complementary to their basic training to increase their service offering or complement their knowledge. We encourage you to ask your doula this question during your approach meeting.
How do I choose my doula?
The choice of your doula is of capital importance. They will share an intimate and crucial period in your life, where you may feel particularly vulnerable. It is therefore important to choose the latter according to criteria of the heart, according to your values and what is important to you. These criteria should take precedence over price given that in the vast majority of cases, doulas are very sensitive to the current economic situation and have the desire to ensure that clients do not experience additional financial stress. You can refer to the pricing question just a little above. We invite you to meet with more than one doula and make a list of questions that are important to you. For exemple: - Her values – His vision of birth - His experience – His training – His style of support – Its payment terms - etc.
If I hire a doula, do they take my partner's place?
Absolutely not, on the contrary, a doula often comes to strengthen the role of the partner. Working together, the partner and doula form a strong support team. The partner is often the one who knows the person in labor best and can provide personalized emotional support, while the doula brings professional expertise and an outside perspective that can be very beneficial in times of stress or uncertainty. . Together, they can create an optimal supportive environment for the person in labor, allowing them to feel supported, encouraged and listened to throughout their birth experience. Ultimately, the partnership between partner and doula can play a crucial role in the birth experience, providing the person in labor with comprehensive support that meets their emotional, physical, and informational needs.