The Role of a Doula
by Tag Woods, LMBT

As I look through photos of newborn babies and their elated parents, I smile and feel a sense of gratitude. My heart laughs and my spirit dances with joy. Reading their birth stories and remembering their journey, it is amazing how uniquely different each journey has been. Each labor and birth is a unique and miraculous experience.

I read my mission statement often, each time with a resounding - yes! It reflects my heart and sits well with my soul.

I believe our children are gifts of unconditional love from God. It is my goal and hope to make their rite of passage into our world more gentle, nurtured and spiritual by honoring the journey of each child and each mother. It is my vision, passion and commitment to empower the mother - lighting the path for her physical, emotional, and spiritual birthright. It is truly a miracle to witness God's finest creation being birthed into our world and to watch them grow into our future. We are all children of God. It is an honor and a privilege to share in the celebration of life, birth and community by pursuing the career into which He has guided me. I practice the healing arts with reverence, love and faith, with the purpose of bringing alignment back to the individual in body, mind and spirit.

As a birth assistant, I believe my primary role is to empower the mother to understand that she has the inner knowledge and strength to give birth.

Although birth assistants or doulas have been around longer than obstetricians, the term and role is not known by the majority of the general public. Birth assistants are making a resurgence in a more modern role. They are the newest member of the birth team. Birth assistants bring essential added support not only to the mother, but also to the doctor or midwife, the hospital staff, and, especially, the father, during the birth experience. Birth assistants are not a replacement for the special support that dads provide. They supplement and nurture this role by encouraging and supporting the participation of dads at their own comfort level.

One way I work with doula client couples during their pregnancy is by teaching them pregnant-couples yoga; family and mom meditation, visualization and relaxation; and mom massage, dad massage, labor massage, and newborn massage. This is a workshop I will be teaching for pregnant couples in 2003. Keeping couples connected and involved physically, mentally and spiritually during their pregnancy is essential to maintain the magic and joy of their journey. It is profound to watch them as they work in harmony during labor and birth, having prepared and reconnected with each other at a different phase of their life and relationship. It is like a dance, breathing in synch, holding each other and moving rhythmically, being together in the moment as time moves into a different dimension during contractions. The dad anticipating his partner's next move, does exactly what is needed. We are a team as I massage, and he softly chants the visualizations they have practiced, connecting with her and their baby. The two of us provide constant care for the mom. Birth assistants take pressure off the dad, so he doesn't have to remember all the details and the "to do" list from the childbirth education classes. I read that a birth support person is like having an extra brain working - a brain experienced in childbirth and much less likely to panic or communicate fear to the mom during labor. Birth assistants are also advocates for parents' rights, working with the doctor, midwife and hospital staff to make sure the birth plan is carried out within the safety of the mother and baby.

In the Journal of the American Medical Association, pediatricians John Kennell and Marshall Klaus stated "Labor support is centuries old, but it's advantages have now been validated in six controlled studies, and its positive benefits should not be overlooked. The challenge is to turn to obstetric technology only when necessary, relying instead on the practice of continuous labor support to help the birth process follow it's natural, normal course." The studies to which they were referring found 25 percent shorter labors (by 2 hours minimum), 50 percent fewer cesarean section, 40 percent fewer epidurals and 30 - 40 percent decrease in the need for forceps, vacuum extractions, pitocin and narcotics when doulas were present.

As I journey in my quest to support and assist couples to achieve the birth experience they hope and dream of, I am completing certification in HypnoBirthing®. It is exciting to share this knowledge with my doula clients. I will be teaching HypnoBirthing® classes for expecting couples in the near future.

In closing, I would like to leave you with my prayer and blessing for our children.

As caregivers of humanity, may we always remember, respect and honor our responsibility to the babies of our earth. They are our future. Without them, our world would cease to exist. They are that important. They are that significant. Every tear, every smile, is felt in God's heart. I pray to have a heart like His.

Tag Woods is the owner of Body Philosophy ~ Massage & Bodywork for Women. She graduated from Body Therapy Institute. She is a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist in the State of North Carolina (NC #874), certified by the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. She holds three certifications in Prenatal Massage Therapy: Certified Infant Massage Instructor, Certified Massage Birth Assistant and Certified Newborn Massage Instructor. Infant massage classes are taught privately and also as part of the High Point Regional Health System. The couples' workshop and HypnoBirthing® classes will be taught at various triad locations. For more information on classes or to schedule an appointment for services, please contact Tag at (336) 992-6135.