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A doula is trained to give one-to-one support to women in labor. She provides non-medical physical and emotional care to the birthing mother and may also lend a hand with communications between the mother, her family and the hospital staff.
A doula’s expertise is in offering comfort and reassurance. Her presence helps a laboring woman to feel safe and confident throughout labor, delivery and the immediate postpartum period. Help with comfort measures such as relaxation, breathing, massage and positioning means the mother’s partner can play an active support role with more confidence.
While nurses, doctors and midwives change shifts and must come and go to attend to other patients, a doula remains with the woman in labor and her family continuously until her baby is born.
Doula care has been proven to decrease the:
- Length of labor
- Use of epidurals and other pain medication
- Episiotomy rates
- Cesarean section rates
A doula’s presence also helps fathers or partners participate at their own comfort level, assists busy hospital staff and greatly increases a mother’s overall satisfaction with her birthing experience.
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On-Call Program—On-call doulas offer their services on an as-needed basis to women having their babies at the UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest. The Medical Center staff may call for a doula on a mother’s behalf at any time of the day or night.
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Referral Program—Sometimes it is clear in advance that a woman will especially benefit from getting to know a doula while she is pregnant and can plan to call on her as soon as her labor starts. Referral doulas are available on a more limited basis. Talk to a UCSD Medical Center midwife or physician for more information.
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Labor & Delivery Unit or the Birth Center—Doulas are offered to any woman delivering her baby at the UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest, no matter which location she is in, and regardless of what pain medications are used, the type of delivery, or whether or not there are complications.
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Other Options—Women can hire a private doula who may offer additional services not available through the Hearts & Hands Program. Expectant families hiring a doula should interview several before selecting one who best meets their needs.
Hearts & Hands volunteers begin by attending a one-day introductory training. Upon completion, you will work with experienced mentor doulas until you are ready to work on your own. No prior experience is required, but volunteer doulas must have the emotional and physical stamina to attend long labors.
Volunteers will also need to complete an interview and attend a general volunteer orientation and safety training. For more information, call UCSD Volunteer Services at (619) 543-6370.
We ask our volunteers for a commitment of two on-call “shifts” a month. We need people with a flexible schedule and the ability to work very long hours from time to time. Our volunteers sign up for 12-hour morning and evening shifts, during which they are available to be called to the hospital when a mother requests a doula. When a doula is called upon, she then stays with the mother throughout her labor and delivery.
Once a doula commits to a woman during her labor, she stays until the baby is born. She does not leave when her shift ends. The average time a doula stays at a birth is 10-12 hours, but it may be shorter or considerably longer. After a birth, a doula often needs to rest, so volunteering should be offered only when she doesn’t have other commitments near that time period.
For more information on becoming a doula, call (619) 543-6269 or email afulcher@ucsd.edu
The following web sites offer additional information for labor support and postpartum care:
National Organizations:
Local Associations:
Give To UCSD's Hearts & Hands Doula Program
This program is supported by UCSD Medical Center, the California Endowment, and others who believe that every woman should have a doula available at her baby’s birth.
To make a tax-deductible donation, call (619) 543-6269. Or, make an online donation today!
Frequently Asked Questions About Doulas
- Why are birth outcomes better with doulas present?
Multiple randomized control studies have found that the presence of a trained doula benefits everyone. The studies have consistently shown that doula care is associated with shorter labors, less use of epidurals and other pain medications, lower episiotomy rates, and a 50% reduction in the cesarean section rate. Research has also shown better clinical outcomes for both the mother and the baby (including less admissions to neonatal special care units, better breastfeeding rates, and better family bonding). A doula also provides care for the mother’s partner and other family members, assists busy hospital staff, saves money, and greatly increases a mother’s overall satisfaction with her birthing experience.
- Is a doula the same thing as a midwife?
No – A doula provides no medical or nursing care. Since she doesn’t have these responsibilities, or other patients to attend to, she can give her complete attention to being by a woman’s side for the entire length of her labor.
- Does a doula replace the Dad?
A doula doesn’t replace anyone – She is another member of the birth team, and supports everyone in their own role. A doula’s presence helps fathers or partners participate at their own comfort level, showing them how and when to use various comfort techniques, providing information, and in some cases, looking after them as well. Partners are often grateful to be able to share the “coaching” responsibility with someone more experienced, and can therefore enjoy the birth experience more.
- Are doulas used if a woman has an epidural?
Yes – a doula’s presence is very helpful during early labor and during the epidural placement process. She then continues to care for the woman and her family, offering emotional and informational support. And, when it’s time to deliver the baby, the doula’s assistance can be invaluable.
- Does a doula attend cesarean section births?
Yes - a woman facing major surgery can still use a doula’s support. The doula may or may not be in the operating room, depending on the wishes of the family and the medical staff, but either way, the doula is still there for the new mother in the recovery room.
For Our Doulas
Click here to view the current doula schedule.
Hearts & Hands Volunteer Doula Program
UCSD Medical Center, Hillcrest
200 West Arbor Drive
San Diego, CA
(619) 543-6269 |