Benefits of a birth doula - Joyce’s second birth

By my second birth, I already knew the impact of a doula from my first birth experience as well as supporting families as a birth doula myself, but this time, I leaned into my doula’s emotional support in a new way. Labor again challenged me, but my doula’s steady encouragement, her timely reminders to change positions, and her soothing presence kept me moving and in the present.

She facilitated opportunities for connection with my husband, took pictures, encouraged position changes, and offered emotional reassurance. Since my baby was in a more favorable position than my first, my physical needs for comfort were easily met by my positions and hydrotherapy. My doula’s presence facilitated an environment where my husband and I could just focus on us, our growing family, and my labor.

More than that, having someone who believed in me, believed I could achieve my birth goals, and who quietly nudged me forward helped me tap into my own inner strength. My doula, my husband, and I made a team, and that made all the difference.

My second birth taught me that the emotional support from a doula is just as impactful as physical support.