Reclaiming Birth: How Doula Support Can Empower the Experience of Birth

Abstract

This study looks into the role of doulas and the ways they can empower the birth process, through the voices and experiences of doulas themselves, as well as individuals who have given birth with the support of a doula. The research is unique in that it is the first study of it’s kind to be carried out in the Netherlands. The aim was to voice first hand the experiences of doulas and those who have given birth with doulas. Unlike much of the previous literature, the focus was not on the health benefits of doula support, but to explore individual thoughts and feelings about birth from those who experience and witness it. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out individually with a group of six participants.Rather than hypothesise on specific potential benefits of doula support, a grounded theory approach was taken to explore the meaning of birth and the role of doulas.For the birth group participants, themes were explored such as feelings prior to birth, the relationship with their doula, choices in pregnancy and birth, birth preparation; the role of the doula prior to, during and after the birth, and feelings about the ways they may or may not have benefited from doula support. With the doulas, themes were explored such as personal experience of birth and reasons for becoming a doula, how their relationship with their clients begins, the individualised care that they provide; their experiences of the Dutch birth system, as well as their relationship with other birth care staff such as midwives and obstetricians. Medicalisation was one of the main undercurrents of the research, and came up consistently both in the review of current literature on birth and on doulas, and also in the interview data. The literature review section explores the history of birth through a feminist lens, and is then connected to recent texts on the current state of birth and midwifery. A discussion of the findings from the interview data continues to explore the theme of medicalisation in relation to the empowerment of birth, the choices available in pregnancy and birth, the knowledge that individuals have to make informed decisions; and the doula’s role in supporting individuals with and advocating for these choices during the birth.