A smoother pregnancy, birth and postpartum
Pregnancy and birth are both transformative events. Our personal experience, cultural background, environment and temperament can deeply impact these moments.
Increasing the chances to experience your dream birth, addressing previous traumas, getting rid off limiting beliefs, connecting with your inner force, are as many opportunities to make this period of your life the sweetest and the most empowering of all times for you and your family.
Having a birth doula reduces:
- Pre-term labours
- Inductions
- Length of labours
- Use of epidurals
- Use of tools such as succion cup or forceps
- Haemorrhages in mothers
- Postpartum depression
Having a birth doula increases:
- Positive birth experiences
- Chances of a fast recovery
- Positive breastfeeding/chestfeeding experience
- Bonding between parent and baby
- Unity within the parents and the family
More on the positive impacts of doulas on the Evidence Based Birth website.
I really liked the involvement, attention and responsibility of Chloe from our first meeting and after the birth of my twins. My husband was skeptical of the idea of turning to a doula, but I got even more support than I expected .
Katja, mother of twins, Espoo
What does a doula do?
A doula does
- Provide evidence-based information
- Offer non-medical pain reliefs
- Help the potential partner to get involved if wanted
- Create a birth plan based on the pregnant person's wishes
- Encourage the birthing person during labour
- Guide the parent if they wish to nurse their baby
- Prepare meals, gives home support in postpartum or other life-changing events
- Supports you unconditionally through transitions
A doula does not
- Administer medicines
- Examine the pregnant person internally
- Manipulate Doppler nor take blood pressure
- Make decisions for the parent or the family
- Replace the potential partner
- Push their own secret agenda and desires on the family
A Guide For Your doula interview
Planning to hire a doula? There are all kinds of doulas with different approaches and specialties, experiences, tools and vibes. Not sure what to ask? Here's a simple list to help you when you contact doulas in Finland.
 2020-2022 Pawe%c5%82 Kuna Permission is hereby granted%2c free of charge%2c to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the 'Software')%2c to deal in the Software without restriction%2c including without limitation the rights to use%2c copy%2c modify%2c merge%2c publish%2c distribute%2c sublicense%2c and/or sell copies of the Software%2c and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so%2c subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS'%2c WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND%2c EXPRESS OR IMPLIED%2c INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY%2c FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM%2c DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY%2c WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT%2c TORT OR OTHERWISE%2c ARISING FROM%2c OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. %3c/schema:copyrightNotice%3e%3c/rdf:Description%3e%3c/rdf:RDF%3e%3c/metadata%3e%3cpath d='M19.2008 26.0909C14.6496 29.8574 10.1115 31.5837 8.4113 31.976C4.6448 39.6659 9.98068 39.6267 13.1194 38.6459L3.31084 44.3348H10.7654C-6.02695 60.0286 1.15294 67.4831 6.84193 69.2487C-0.22026 86.1979 25.7398 87.9504 39.6026 86.708C23.1242 111.661 43.4607 110.706 55.6887 107.11L88.2532 82.9807C100.024 72.152 110.682 67.6139 114.54 66.6984L126.311 60.2248C141.22 42.3339 135.661 37.338 131.019 37.0765L120.033 38.6459L132.588 35.8994C138.238 32.1329 133.896 30.799 131.019 30.6028L113.363 33.9377L122.779 29.6219L92.9614 37.0765L111.794 21.1866L104.928 22.3636C118.111 14.6737 118.268 10.1355 116.698 8.82773L107.674 12.9473L114.54 4.31578L101.985 10.0048L110.813 2.35406L95.9039 7.6507L103.947 0L75.5021 11.1818L78.6408 7.6507C75.5021 8.74926 46.0763 24.3253 31.7557 31.976C47.9203 22.4028 57.4543 14.1244 60.2007 11.1818L35.0907 22.3636L43.9184 16.6746L30.7749 21.1866L19.2008 26.0909Z' fill='%23bcccc8' fill-opacity='0.1'/%3e%3cpath d='M68.165 72.0029V37.0029L57.2275 47.9404' stroke='%23bcccc8' stroke-width='3.5' stroke-linecap='round' stroke-linejoin='round'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Check out the website of Suomen Doulat and enter your location, language, doula type in the search tool.
You will find a list of doulas matching your criteria.
You can of course research doulas in a classical search engine but their code of ethics might slightly differ from the doulas association's.
 2020-2022 Pawe%c5%82 Kuna Permission is hereby granted%2c free of charge%2c to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the 'Software')%2c to deal in the Software without restriction%2c including without limitation the rights to use%2c copy%2c modify%2c merge%2c publish%2c distribute%2c sublicense%2c and/or sell copies of the Software%2c and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so%2c subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS'%2c WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND%2c EXPRESS OR IMPLIED%2c INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY%2c FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM%2c DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY%2c WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT%2c TORT OR OTHERWISE%2c ARISING FROM%2c OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. %3c/schema:copyrightNotice%3e%3c/rdf:Description%3e%3c/rdf:RDF%3e%3c/metadata%3e%3cpath d='M19.2008 26.0909C14.6496 29.8574 10.1115 31.5837 8.4113 31.976C4.6448 39.6659 9.98068 39.6267 13.1194 38.6459L3.31084 44.3348H10.7654C-6.02695 60.0286 1.15294 67.4831 6.84193 69.2487C-0.22026 86.1979 25.7398 87.9504 39.6026 86.708C23.1242 111.661 43.4607 110.706 55.6887 107.11L88.2532 82.9807C100.024 72.152 110.682 67.6139 114.54 66.6984L126.311 60.2248C141.22 42.3339 135.661 37.338 131.019 37.0765L120.033 38.6459L132.588 35.8994C138.238 32.1329 133.896 30.799 131.019 30.6028L113.363 33.9377L122.779 29.6219L92.9614 37.0765L111.794 21.1866L104.928 22.3636C118.111 14.6737 118.268 10.1355 116.698 8.82773L107.674 12.9473L114.54 4.31578L101.985 10.0048L110.813 2.35406L95.9039 7.6507L103.947 0L75.5021 11.1818L78.6408 7.6507C75.5021 8.74926 46.0763 24.3253 31.7557 31.976C47.9203 22.4028 57.4543 14.1244 60.2007 11.1818L35.0907 22.3636L43.9184 16.6746L30.7749 21.1866L19.2008 26.0909Z' fill='%23bcccc8' fill-opacity='0.1'/%3e%3cpath d='M59.415 45.7529C59.415 43.4323 60.3369 41.2067 61.9779 39.5657C63.6188 37.9248 65.8444 37.0029 68.165 37.0029C70.4857 37.0029 72.7113 37.9248 74.3522 39.5657C75.9932 41.2067 76.915 43.4323 76.915 45.7529C76.915 48.1548 75.6813 50.1826 74.3797 51.9107L59.415 72.0029H76.915' stroke='%23bcccc8' stroke-width='3.5' stroke-linecap='round' stroke-linejoin='round'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Explore their website and social media to grasp their vibe, assess their prices and core values.
Reviewing their clients' testimonials can provide insight on the bond you will create with that doula.
Then, you have a short list.
 2020-2022 Pawe%c5%82 Kuna Permission is hereby granted%2c free of charge%2c to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the 'Software')%2c to deal in the Software without restriction%2c including without limitation the rights to use%2c copy%2c modify%2c merge%2c publish%2c distribute%2c sublicense%2c and/or sell copies of the Software%2c and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so%2c subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS'%2c WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND%2c EXPRESS OR IMPLIED%2c INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY%2c FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM%2c DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY%2c WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT%2c TORT OR OTHERWISE%2c ARISING FROM%2c OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. %3c/schema:copyrightNotice%3e%3c/rdf:Description%3e%3c/rdf:RDF%3e%3c/metadata%3e%3cpath d='M19.2008 26.0909C14.6496 29.8574 10.1115 31.5837 8.4113 31.976C4.6448 39.6659 9.98068 39.6267 13.1194 38.6459L3.31084 44.3348H10.7654C-6.02695 60.0286 1.15294 67.4831 6.84193 69.2487C-0.22026 86.1979 25.7398 87.9504 39.6026 86.708C23.1242 111.661 43.4607 110.706 55.6887 107.11L88.2532 82.9807C100.024 72.152 110.682 67.6139 114.54 66.6984L126.311 60.2248C141.22 42.3339 135.661 37.338 131.019 37.0765L120.033 38.6459L132.588 35.8994C138.238 32.1329 133.896 30.799 131.019 30.6028L113.363 33.9377L122.779 29.6219L92.9614 37.0765L111.794 21.1866L104.928 22.3636C118.111 14.6737 118.268 10.1355 116.698 8.82773L107.674 12.9473L114.54 4.31578L101.985 10.0048L110.813 2.35406L95.9039 7.6507L103.947 0L75.5021 11.1818L78.6408 7.6507C75.5021 8.74926 46.0763 24.3253 31.7557 31.976C47.9203 22.4028 57.4543 14.1244 60.2007 11.1818L35.0907 22.3636L43.9184 16.6746L30.7749 21.1866L19.2008 26.0909Z' fill='%23bcccc8' fill-opacity='0.1'/%3e%3cpath d='M59.415 45.7529C59.415 44.0223 59.9282 42.3306 60.8897 40.8917C61.8511 39.4528 63.2177 38.3313 64.8166 37.669C66.4154 37.0067 68.1747 36.8334 69.8721 37.1711C71.5694 37.5087 73.1285 38.342 74.3522 39.5657C75.5759 40.7895 76.4093 42.3486 76.7469 44.0459C77.0845 45.7432 76.9113 47.5026 76.249 49.1014C75.5867 50.7003 74.4652 52.0668 73.0263 53.0283C71.5873 53.9898 69.8956 54.5029 68.165 54.5029C69.8956 54.5029 71.5873 55.0161 73.0263 55.9776C74.4652 56.939 75.5867 58.3056 76.249 59.9044C76.9113 61.5033 77.0845 63.2626 76.7469 64.96C76.4093 66.6573 75.5759 68.2164 74.3522 69.4401C73.1285 70.6638 71.5694 71.4972 69.8721 71.8348C68.1747 72.1724 66.4154 71.9991 64.8166 71.3369C63.2177 70.6746 61.8511 69.5531 60.8897 68.1142C59.9282 66.6752 59.415 64.9835 59.415 63.2529' stroke='%23bcccc8' stroke-width='3.5' stroke-linecap='round' stroke-linejoin='round'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Contact them and meet them, online or face to face.
Prepare your list of questions for the interview.
Example: What is your take on epidurals? Have you ever supported a twin birth? Would you go with me if it ends up in a c-section? What are your favourite natural pain reliefs? Do you have a back up doula?