A Doula, or Birth Doula, provides support for pregnant people before, during and after pregnancy. Some common Doula duties include learning about a person’s birth preferences during prenatal consultations, advocating for clients during and after labor and delivery and assisting with newborn care following births.
A Doula should be able to fulfill various duties and responsibilities. The following are some duties and responsibilities a Doula should be able to execute:
- Conducting prenatal consultations to explore clients’ birthing preferences and discuss any concerns
- Creating birthing plans that outline the delivery room’s environment or home birth setting, who will be present and whether clients want pain relievers
- Assisting with preparations for the child’s arrival, such as setting up the nursery or running errands
- Attending the birth and providing emotional and physical support for clients throughout labor and delivery
- Acting as an advocate for clients to ensure medical providers adhere to their wishes
- Providing advice about nursing and assisting with childcare during the early postpartum period
A competitive Doula will have certain skills and qualifications, including:
- Knowledge of child birthing and nursing techniques, non-medicinal pain management strategies and childcare best practices
- Interpersonal skills to inspire trust and build strong relationships with clients
- Active listening skills to fully understand clients’ preferences and needs
- Verbal communication skills to facilitate conversations with clients, their families and medical providers
- Problem-solving skills to manage issues that arise during and after delivery
- Organizational and time management skills to deliver care for multiple clients at one time
