What is a doula delivery? How much does a doula delivery cost?

Childbirth is the most terrifying and difficult stage for every pregnant mother, because at this time mothers have to endure great pain. With the development of medical technology, the doula delivery method that can help pregnant mothers relieve pain is becoming more and more popular. So how much does it cost for a doula delivery? Is it necessary to have a doula delivery?

Also known as comfortable delivery, it means that medical staff and doulas provide professional and humane services to parturients, and use non-drug, non-invasive doulas to block the pain nerve conduction pathways from the uterine fundus, uterine body and birth canal, achieving a continuous and significant labor analgesia effect, allowing parturients to deliver naturally in a comfortable, pain-free, and safe state for both mother and baby.

Doula

"Doula" is the transliteration of the Greek word "Doula", which originally means "women taking care of women". During the whole process of childbirth, a loving, kind, considerate woman who is proficient in obstetrics and gynecology will always accompany the mother. This accompanying woman is called a "doula". "Doula" provides continuous psychological, physical and emotional support to the mother throughout the whole process of childbirth, and uses appropriate technology to help the mother overcome the difficulties of childbirth.

The foreign medical community usually refers to women who have given birth, are dedicated and have experience in delivering babies as "doulas", who are responsible for guiding pregnant women to have a smooth and natural delivery.

Currently in China, hospitals hire professionally trained nursing workers to serve as "doulas". They are caring, patient, responsible, and good at communicating with others.

The role of doula delivery for mothers is self-evident. Almost all mothers do not want to face childbirth alone. Doula delivery just meets the psychological needs of mothers who want someone to accompany them.

Statistics show that the average labor process of women who have a doula accompanying them is shortened by 2-3 hours. Moreover, women who have a doula delivery will have less bleeding during labor and after delivery, a lower rate of surgical delivery, and a lower incidence of neonatal morbidity, which is more beneficial to the health of mothers and babies. Doula delivery is the most ideal natural delivery method advocated by the World Health Organization. Its main functions are as follows:

1. Doula delivery allows the mother to stay awake and move freely throughout the entire delivery process.

2. It has a certain analgesic effect, can make uterine contractions more coordinated and reduce physical exertion.

3. Help mothers to eat and drink water in time during labor, increase labor power and shorten the labor process.

4. Improve the mental state of the mother, relieve fear and anxiety, enhance the mother's confidence in natural childbirth, and avoid the occurrence of postpartum depression.

5. It is conducive to timely breastfeeding after delivery, and can also effectively reduce the number of cesarean sections that are chosen due to severe labor pain, and is conducive to reducing the cesarean section rate for non-medical indications.

6. Provide guidance to the mother’s family members, teach them how to help the mother scientifically, let them clearly understand their roles and functions, and enable the mother to obtain affectionate support from their family members.

The price of doula delivery in my country generally ranges from 500 to 1000 yuan, and the charging standards of different hospitals in different regions may also vary. "Doula" provides "one-on-one" companionship throughout the delivery process for the mother, and provides comprehensive, thoughtful and meticulous services to the mother before, during and after delivery. The price of doula delivery will vary due to different charging standards in different hospitals. It is worth noting that the price of doula delivery is separate from the delivery fee, and the mother's family usually pays the fee directly to the doula. Since doula services are a delivery assistance project, they cannot be reimbursed in maternity insurance, and the mother needs to pay the full amount.

Some mothers believe that the role of a doula is equivalent to that of a birth attendant, and that doula delivery is unnecessary. Some mothers also believe that doulas can provide scientific help and are good for normal childbirth. Whether doula delivery is necessary depends mainly on the mother's personal psychological quality. If she can eliminate her fear of childbirth and prepare for it, she does not need to use doula delivery. If she is not completely sure of a smooth childbirth, and has no childbirth experience or knowledge, she can use doula delivery. Doula delivery has the following effects:

1. Delivery support expert. A doula can be regarded as the middleman between the mother and the obstetrician. During the entire delivery process, she can not only provide psychological, physiological, information and appropriate technical support, but also help the doctor better understand the mother's situation, which is conducive to the prevention of abnormal delivery.

2. An important supporter of delivery care. Women will have complex needs during delivery. In addition to safety and the care and consideration of their loved ones, they also need continuous comfort, encouragement, respect and delivery care according to individual needs.

3. Build confidence for the parturient to have a natural childbirth. During childbirth, the doula can observe the parturient objectively, guide the parturient more scientifically, and encourage the parturient with kind words and deeds, so that the parturient can eliminate the tension and fear and build confidence for a normal childbirth. At the same time, with the help of the doula, the family's pressure will be reduced accordingly.