Healthy Birth Practice 3: Bring a loved one, friend or doula for continuous support

Bring a Loved One, Friend or Doula for Continuous Support

Healthy Birth Practice 3: Bring a Loved One, Friend or Doula for Continuous Support
Adapted from The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence.

In childbirth, as in many aspects of life, we humans do better when we’re surrounded by those we trust, people who tell us we’re doing well and encourage us forward. Good labor support is not watching the clock and checking IV lines and fetal monitor printouts. It’s making sure you’re not disturbed, respecting the time that labor takes, and reminding you that you know how to birth your baby. Your helpers should spin a cocoon around you while you’re in labor—create a space where you feel safe and secure and can do the hard work of labor without worry.

• Download the Lamaze Healthy Birth Practice Paper, available in eleven languages, to find out about the research on continuous support in labor and learn about doulas (professional labor support professionals).
• Find some helpful Tips for Finding a Doula
• Watch a video of natural births and see how laboring women benefit from supportive labor partners.
• Looking for additional labor support team resources? Check out the Lamaze Parent Resource page.