Serve and support

Heather Sachs keeps a bag packed and ready to go to the hospital at all times. 

She has given birth six times, but her hospital bag now serves a different purpose. Sachs, who lives on Highway 119, is a doula, a Greek word for “a woman who serves.” The term now refers to a trained and experienced professional who provides physical, emotional and informational support to a mother before, during and after birth.

“You already feel so vulnerable [when you are giving birth],” Sachs said. “We do everything we can to make moms feel safe and secure.”

Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, and that babies are healthier and breastfeed more easily, according to DONA International.

Sachs and fellow members of Gentle Childbirth Services, a group of doulas, emphasize that they work with the doctors in a purely supportive, never a clinical, role. A doctor will be there, but he or she might or might not be the mom’s usual OB/GYN. And the nurse will be a new face and one who isn’t able to be there at every moment. 

A doula, by contrast, stays by a mother’s side through the whole labor process and is trained in techniques to comfort her through it. It’s different from having a mom, sister or husband there, although it’s good for them to be there too, Sachs said.

A doula’s job begins during pregnancy. She meets with the mother to establish a relationship so she will later know the mom well enough to read her and know what she needs. The doula helps her write a birth plan that might include elements as simple as what to wear and who you want to be in the room. Sachs calls it the “golden ticket” and always brings an extra copy to the hospital in case the mom forgets.

Starting at 38 weeks into pregnancy, the doula commits to be in town and on call for the birth. The doula is also available to answer a mom’s questions during that time.

“Especially if you have had a previous traumatic birth, a doula can be invaluable those last few weeks,” said Aimee Davis, another doula in the group who lives in Meadow Brook. “We help keep you calm. Sometimes you just need to hear, ‘This is normal.’ A lot of people aren’t sure what the natural birth process looks like.”

During labor, doulas are trained in how to help moms emotionally. All women communicate differently but go through the same emotional milestones, Sachs and Davis said. 

“No one can prepare you for labor until you go through it,” said Fredia Nelms, who was a founding member of Gentle Childbirth Services. “It helps to have a woman at your side.”

Toward the end, a doula knows when to tell the mother that not much time remains.

“It’s amazing what the words, ‘You are about to meet your baby,’ can do,” Davis said. 

After the baby comes, the doula remains by the mom’s side. The doulas interviewed said often the husband is with the baby at that point, and they can still be with the mom to give her someone to talk to. They also help her when she breastfeeds for the first time and offer additional resources over the next few weeks.

“It’s beautiful at the end, but it’s messy,” Sachs said. “You want someone you trust.”

At the end, Davis said their goal is to help moms write a birth story they are happy to tell for years to come.

“Birth is a key life event you remember forever,” Sachs said.

In addition to doula services, Gentle Childbirth Services offers birth classes and placenta encapsulation. They attend natural, epidural and high-risks births. For more information, visit gentlechildbirth.org.