Pregnancy and birth are both incredibly beautiful processes, that can also be incredibly difficult and challenging – not to mention everything that comes after birth, which can sometimes even be accompanied by negative outcomes such as postpartum depression. Women often go into pregnancy, birth and motherhood with a society, culture and tradition-backed ideology of what to expect out of the entire process. While this is to be expected, most women are unaware of the fact that there are a wider variety of options to what they choose to do with their pregnancy and birth – options that could in turn benefit both themselves and their babies on the long run. This is where doulas come in. According to a definition given by the International Doula Institute, “A birth doula is a professional support person trained in the needs of the family during pregnancy and childbirth. The doula offers non-judgmental support, guidance, evidence-based education and practical hands-on support during childbirth including comfort measures. Doula originates from the Greek word meaning woman servant.” This differs from a postpartum doula, who rather offers the same kind of support after the birth of a…
Breaking Pregnancy and Birth Taboos: A Chat with an Egyptian Doula
August 13, 2020
