DOULAS AND DADS
“As the father, I was not sure I really understood what a doula did. I have a clear vision of it now...
It helped me to be at ease knowing someone would be there as a back-up... Nicki helped with the birth plan... She was my rock when I was scared and unsure of what was going on during the nervous times... Nicki’s experience made every scary moment “calm.””
A dad's role in the birth experience varies from family to family. A doula recognizes that the father is having a birth experience alongside the mother and works collaboratively to support this experience.
Doulas work with dads by:
Providing information, awareness and support as the birth experience progresses
Helping to ask the right questions, at the right time, to advocate for the mother and child when needed
Offering the opportunity for a break without having continuous support for the mother interrupted
The father knows the mother, while the doula knows birth. Working together, doulas and dads provide a solid and powerful support team.