Partners and Doulas
The question often arises as to whether partners feel left out with a doula present. The answer is absolutely not! Doulas do not replace the birth partner in any way. When it comes to pregnancy, birth and parenting, partners are the most important members of the mother's support team. They are actively involved in easing the mother's labour pain, welcoming the baby at the moment of birth, and helping to care for the newborn at home. Birth and postpartum doulas are there to help the partners and mothers experience this special time together with confidence.
It is often forgotten that partners are experiencing this labour too. In the emotionally charged atmosphere of birth, many partners have a hard time remembering what was taught in class, or read in a book. A doula is present at a birth to lend support and confidence to the partner just as much as she is there to help and comfort the mother. As one father said, "I heaved a big sigh of relief when she (the doula) walked in. I hadn't realized how much pressure I had been feeling. She not only calmed my wife, she calmed me down." (quote from Dads and Doulas by Penny Simkin)
With her partner and a doula at her birth, a mother can have the best of both worlds: her partner’s loving care and attention and the doula’s expertise and guidance in childbirth
