Elizabeth Morrison, CD(DONA)
Childbirth Education
Happiest Baby on the Block Educator
Breastfeeding Support

Please visit my website http://www.mothermedoula.com

Schedule a free consultation and receive a free copy of Journey Into Motherhood- Inspiring Stories of Natural Childbirth!

‘Mothering the mother’ is a nice way of saying that doulas meet the needs of birthing moms and dads.

Some of the most common needs that women giving birth may have are:
•Information about what is happening to her and what to expect next
•Privacy
•Control of what happens to them and the opportunity to share decision making
•Security of knowing who will be with them
•Eating and drinking as tolerated
•Freedom of movement and choice of the most comfortable positions for pushing
•Choice of doctor or midwife and continuous support persons

Common needs of partners supporting laboring women may be:
•To feel competent and helpful
•Reminders- because he’s not sure if he’ll remember everything taught in the childbirth classes
•Reassurance that the mom and baby are safe and cared for.
•Support from someone who has done this before so he’s not ‘first in line’


How can I help you have the birth that you want?

As your doula, my job is to anticipate your needs and fulfill them to the best of my ability. This may not seem like an important part of childbirth- but it is. Childbirth is not only a physical event it is very emotional, too. The day you give birth will be forever etched in your memory. When your needs are met, you are more able to focus and to concentrate on your work -which is giving birth to your baby. This makes your transition to motherhood easier because if your needs are met, you will be better able to meet your baby’s needs, too. On the other hand, if your basic needs go unmet, you may become fearful or unable to relax and labor may stall. Many times labor stalls when a women feels anxious and fearful, and often a request for pain medications may be simply a request for encouragement, information or support. When women feel out of control or simply dismissed during labor and birth these feelings could carry over into the postpartum period and could manifest into postpartum depression.
For partners, the reassurance and respect given to him make sure he gets off to a good start as father and he is able to be the protecter of his new family.