There are some myths out there about doulas and doula care that you may or may not have heard about. Our goal here is to provide some factual information to dispel some of the most common misconceptions.

Myth: A doula will take over my partner's role in the birth. With her there, he'll feel like a third wheel.

Fact: Many expectant fathers feel enormous stress and pressure during labour and delivery. Your doula will encourage and help him to participate at his own comfort level. Most fathers who have experienced a doula-attended birth have felt that it actually enhanced their involvement in the experience. Additionally, many mother's felt a greater sense of satisfaction with their partner and his participation in the birth of their child.

Myth: The fee for doula services is expensive. We cannot afford to hire a doula.

Fact: The average fee for comprehensive doula services in Edmonton is $300-$600. Your Special Delivery charges $550 for its doula services, and offers convenient payment plans. The fee for doula care is tax-deductible and is covered by some extended health benefit plans. Besides, with the cost of a negative or disappointing birth experience being immeasurable, how can you afford not to hire a doula?

Myth: I have a great support team. I am planning to have my husband, my mother, and my sister support me during labour. I don't need additional support from a doula. Besides, she would just get in the way.

Fact: Although having several family members or friends attend your baby's birth can make the event that much more memorable, chances are none of these people have the training and experience that a doula has to provide you with professional, unbiased and objective support. Your doula may even help to coordinate the efforts of a large support team, making specific suggestions to each member.

Myth: I would think that a doula must put a lot of pressure on her clients to give birth the "correct" way. I would feel bad if I let her down, and I don't want those kinds of expectations placed on me during the birth of my baby.

Fact: Your doula works to support YOUR wishes and goals, putting her own personal beliefs about childbirth aside. With the knowledge that there are many ways to birth a baby, your doula can work to facilitate communication between you and your partner to help you determine and negotiate the childbirth issues that are of utmost importance to both of you.

Myth: My husband and I are very private people. We want to have an intimate birth experience and a doula would hinder that.

Fact: A doula respects the privacy of all her clients and involves herself in the birth only to the depth that her clients are comfortable with. In fact, your doula can help you clarify and communicate these wishes to the hospital staff either through birth planning or directly to the staff at the time of delivery. You will be surrounded by many strangers throughout the birth of your baby, including nurses, student interns, anesthesiologists, etc. You and your partner will get to know your doula before the delivery making her seem like less of a "stranger".

Myth: I have an excellent obstetrician who supports my plans for birth, and whom I trust fully. I don't need additional information about labour or birth.

Fact: You are ultimately in charge of your health care. You may need additional or alternative information to help you make informed decisions. Although a doula does not replace the information provided by your doctor, she strives to obtain the most current, well-documented research to help you feel more confident in the decisions that are made regarding your medical care. She can also expand on medical explanations to provide you with a better understanding of the situation at hand.

Myth: With a nurse already caring for me, the services of a doula would be redundant.

Fact: Unfortunately, in today's health care climate, the bulk of a Labour and Delivery Room nurse's time is spent charting, handling equipment and assisting other birthing women. Very little of her time is spent providing emotional support to the family, of which most is directed to the mother, leaving the father out of the picture. A doula's primary focus is to provide this essential support to BOTH parents.

Myth: I've never heard of doula care before. This service can't be terribly essential if the concept is relatively new.

Fact: The concept of continuous labour support provided by an experienced woman is centuries old. Until the mid-1900s, it was unheard of to give birth without this support. When childbirth was taken out of the home and into the hospital in the 1930s, this practice was deemed to be unnecessary. Recent research has found that this kind of support is, in fact, crucial and that this practice should never have been abandoned.

Myth: Doulas and the people who hire them are extremists who believe that natural childbirth is the only option.

Fact: Many self-described "average, ordinary" people have hired doulas, not because they had a deep desire to birth a certain way, radical or otherwise, but because they wanted a unique birth experience that they could call their own. Doula care is considered to be a relevant option in today's obstetrical world. Countless doctors support and recommend doula care, and some even refer their patients directly to our services.

Myth: I plan to have an epidural during my upcoming delivery and will not require additional physical support and comfort measures.

Fact: Even women who choose epidural or other forms of medical pain relief need emotional support. They require abundant information so that they can make informed decisions about their care. Their partners need support and reassurance, too. The family may require help with breastfeeding or coping with postpartum demands. Every expectant family deserves the benefits of the emotional and informational support that a doula provides.

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