Celebrating 25 Years of Doula Services

Community Health Network is honored to be celebrating our 25th year of offering doula services to our clients.

What started as a small department at Community has turned into an 18-person team. Our doulas have served 3,000 clients over the years, and we hope for thousands more. Our goal is to become the most doula-friendly hospital in the city of Indianapolis.

What Is a Doula?

A doula is an individual that provides continuous support to a client throughout their labor.

Doulas are responsible for offering holistic support for their clients. They focus not only on providing information to the client and their partner, but also emotional and physical support. Whether it is addressing concerns the client has, supplying words of affirmation, or making sure the client in labor is comfortable, the doula handles it all.

Doulas are the client’s advocates during the labor process. They empower clients to ask questions and speak up for themselves.

They are also there to support the client’s partner. Doulas provide information and hands-on assistance to allow the partner to focus on their loved one's needs during the birthing process.

What We Offer

Once assigned a doula at Community Health Network, you are able to talk with your doula at two prenatal appointments. During these meetings, you and your doula will discuss the birth plan, get to know one another, and garner an understanding of what you want from this experience.

While the pregnancy progresses, your doula is available via email, text or phone call to stay up-to-date, answer any questions, or make adjustments to previously discussed plans. This is a partnership.

The doula is available not only before and during the birth, but also afterward.

Between 24-48 hours after the birth, postpartum follow-ups are scheduled. This is an opportunity for help and clarification. Doulas can assist with breastfeeding, revisit the memories of the birthing process, and discuss more intimate topics like vaginal tearing and signs of postpartum depression.

All of these services are meant to provide a comfortable and enjoyable journey while helping prevent trauma.

Benefits of Doula Services

Hiring a doula through Community Health Network assures that your support system and your medical staff are all well acquainted and familiar with your wishes.

Not only is it wonderful to have an extra member added to your support system, but there are significant physical benefits to having a doula.

With an increase in doula services, Community Health Network has seen a significant drop in the need for cesarean section procedures. Between 1997 and 2021, the cumulative cesarean rate for the Community Health Network Doula Department was 16.81%, which is nearly half the cesarean rate in Indiana (CDC, 2022).

Additionally, clients with doulas are less likely to need pain medication during the labor process and have shorter labors by an average of 40 minutes (Bohren et al., 2017).

Doulas aren’t just beneficial for mothers, however. It is said that babies birthed with the assistance of doulas are likely to have higher APGAR (Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, and Respiration) Scores (Bohren et al., 2017).

Is a Doula the Right Choice for Me?

According to Betha Smith, the Manager of Childbirth Education and Doula Services at Community, “A doula is for everyone who wants one. You don’t need a certain ideology because doulas will support you no matter what your preferences might be.”

Supporting the Doula Dream

Although doulas are meant for everyone, they aren’t always a financial option for mothers. To help offset the cost for clients that are seeking support with birth doula services in the Network, please consider donating.

Gifts can be made online here.

In the field for “tribute gifts,” name “Carol Euliss” as the honoree and the gift will be designated for the Birth Doula Fund.

Or, donors can mail a check to:

Community Health Network Foundation–Birth Doula Fund
7330 Shadeland Station, Suite 150
Indianapolis, IN 46256

For more information on doula services or to fill out a Doula Services Interest Form, visit eCommunity.com/doula.

Sources:

Bohren, M.A., Hofmeyr, G.J., Sakala, C., Fukuzawa, R.K., & Cuthbert, A. (2017). Continuous support for women during childbirth. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 7(7), CD003766. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003766.pub6

Centers for Disease and Prevention. (2022). Cesarean delivery rate by state. Indiana. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/indiana/in.htm