 Will a doula take my partner's place?
Our doulas are there to support the family as a whole. They will meet with you both antenatally to discuss your expectations and preferences as to how best to support you. When a father chooses to be involved in the birth process your doula can remain in the background holding the space and ensuring the practicalities are taken care of, freeing your partner up to focus on you. When a father chooses not to be present your doula can bring peace of mind that you needn't be alone.
Are doulas medical professionals?
No. Doulas provide emotional, practical and informational support to families. They do not perform clinical tasks, diagnose medical conditions or give medical advise. Doulas have a good understanding of the childbirth process and are encouraged to keep their knowledge up to date but will always refer you on to the appropriate information and/or medical professionals should the need arise.
My Consultant says I'm "high risk", is it still worth hiring a doula?
Women are put into the "high risk" catagory for various reasons such as IVF, age, previous caesarean, twins etc etc. Doulas support women regardless of their so called "risk" level.
I'm planning a hospital birth- Will my doula still meet me at home?
Yes. Ideally your doula will spend some time with you in your home trying out different comfort measures if needed before transferring anywhere.
 But I'm not sure if I want a natural birth
Hiring a doula reduces the request for pain relief but it is not the doula's focus. A doula is there to support you unconditionally to help you to achieve a positive birthing experience that's right for you.
I've decided to have a caesarean, can a doula still help?
Yes. All women deserve continuity of care regardless of how they birth their child. A doula will support you throughout your whole journey into parenthood regardless of which path you take. At the moment most hospitals policies only allow for one partner to be present in theatre, our doulas are more than happy to be that partner if you so wish but they are just as happy to wait in recovery if you prefer.
 Can a doula support me with breastfeeding?
Yes. Besides their own personal experiences, each of our doulas have undergone further breastfeeding training and are able to support you through the most common breastfeeding issues and concerns should they arise. Having said that, if breastfeeding is going off-course it can be beneficial to call in a specicialist sooner rather than later. In such circumstances our doulas would not hesitate to refer you on to the appropriate people.
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