What is a doula?
A doula brings numerous benefits to your birth experience, providing personalized, continuous support before, during, and after labor. With a focus on emotional, physical, and informational care, a doula helps reduce anxiety, increase relaxation, and ensure that you feel confident in your decisions. Our presence during labor allows for a calm and supportive environment, helping you navigate pain management options, communicate with your care team, and stay connected to your own birth plan. Studies show that having a doula can lead to shorter labor, reduced need for pain medication, and an overall more positive birth experience.
Beyond physical support, a doula is also a strong emotional advocate. We are there to listen, offer encouragement, and provide a sense of security during what can be an intense and sometimes unpredictable process. By helping you feel empowered and informed, we ensure that you are an active participant in your birth, fully supported in your choices, and prepared for the transformative experience of becoming a parent. Having a doula by your side is about more than just a smooth labor—it’s about feeling seen, heard, and respected throughout the entire journey.
Top 5 benefits of having a doula
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Studies have shown that continuous support from a doula can reduce the length of labor by an average of 25% (Hodnett, 2013).
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Reduced Need for Pain Medication: Research indicates that having a doula can decrease the likelihood of requesting an epidural by up to 60% and the use of pain medication by 30% (Bohren et al., 2017).
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Lower Cesarean Rates: According to multiple studies, the presence of a doula can lower the likelihood of a cesarean birth by 50%, and reduce the use of forceps or vacuum-assisted deliveries by 40% (Hodnett et al., 2013).
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Increased Satisfaction: A review of research found that women who had doula support were 31% more likely to rate their birth experience positively, and 34% more likely to feel that their needs were met during labor (Klaus et al., 2001).
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Increased Breastfeeding Success: Research suggests that mothers with doula support are more likely to initiate breastfeeding successfully and continue breastfeeding for longer periods (Bohren et al., 2017).
How is a doula different than an ob or midwife?
While a midwife or doctor is responsible for medical care and delivering the baby, a doula focuses on emotional and physical support. We work alongside your medical team, providing comfort measures, advocating for your birth preferences, and helping you navigate the process with confidence.
What is the relationship
between partners & doulas?
Let's get something straight, a doula is not coming in to replace your partners role during this sacred time for your family!
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Doulas know birth and your partner knows you! My responsibility as your doula is to support you through an array of ways from double hip squeezes to making sure you and your partner are hydrated. It an important practice of mine to respect your space and help in the ways that we discuss in your birth plan.
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You can read more about this on my blog here!
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CAn a doula assistant with any kind of birth?
Yes! Whether you plan for a home birth, hospital birth, water birth, or cesarean section, a doula can offer support tailored to your specific needs and birth preferences. We adapt to your birth plan and help you feel empowered in any situation.
Amberlee
I have attended births with Olivia and have always been impressed with her ability to know exactly what a laboring mother needs without them having to say it. I recently had the honor of her attending my own birth and was so grateful for how she went above and beyond to make my pregnancy, birth, and postpartum as smooth as can be. Not to mention her CST skills have made such a difference for me & my babies. Cannot recommend her enough!
Gina
First off, Olivia was voted best doula in the US & her integrity speaks for itself. She is intuitive, so passionate & inspiring. She wears many hats, is extensively knowledgeable & offers many services to support mamas in Jax. She is not only a doula, placenta encapsulation, cranial sacral therapist, works alongside modern midwives, she is a beautiful mother herself & has walked the path herself to know exactly what her mamas need & how to support. Her pregnancy & postpartum support groups @ modern midwives are beautiful, uplifting & truly supporting beyond belief. It just shows how much she cares for mamas. She truly plays a major role in bringing Jacksonvilles empowering birth & motherhood community together.
Alma
Olivia always kept a line of communication open throughout pregnancy and during birth she was very attentive, kind, respectful and supportive. We literally walked to a coffee shop during labor, danced, giggled and when transition hit she allowed me that space to get into”laborland”. I like how she also communicated with the midwives during labor to make sure everything was going as smooth as possible. I had a calm and beautiful birth thanks to her and the midwives. Literally couldn’t have done it without her.