Do you doula? An exclusive interview with Dr. John Kennell

New Life Journal, Dec, 2003 by Emily Ray

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NLJ: Are doulas able to help encourage mothers to have a natural birth?

Dr. Kennell: Absolutely. Not all doulas appreciate how important they might be [to empowering a birthing mother]. Mothers can have plenty of questions. "What's going to happen next? What did the doctor mean just then?" If it's a fairly long labor, it is very confusing to mothers where they stand. Are they making reasonable progress? Things like that. A doula is not just present to lessen pain. Actually, a doula has a similar effect as an epidural. Just to qualify, that a bit: by mothers being more relaxed, they don't see the same pain or pressure. By that relaxation, comfort and assurance mothers get from a doula, it has almost the same effect as an epidural.

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NIJ: So doulas are able to help not only through their use of pain management techniques but also by giving emotional support. They're useful for all different types of births then?

Dr. Kennell: So why doesn't everyone have one? Doulas don't seem to fit in with obstetrician's ideas about birthing. While they go 'along with it, they're not strongly talking to the mothers about how valuable it can be. There are exceptions. Doulas that have been effective have been ones that were hired by the mother. They are independent contractors. [Although] there are doulas who work for no charge at all, the fact that there is a charge is important to families these days, so that's a factor. And if your obstetrician isn't saying this is a very desirable thing, that pushes the mother a certain way.

NLJ: Are doulas a replacement for family?

Dr. Kennell: The labor and delivery area really isn't like an intensive care area. It really isn't like an open heart surgery area. But there are a lot of machines around. There are a lot of things that are baffling to parents. The great majority of fathers want to do everything they can to support their wife. I do want to support fathers, but they really are not well prepared. We've compared fathers to doulas, and their patterns are very different. A doula has a number of things that the average father doesn't have (because of her training).

NLJ: Can doulas help to encourage fathers to participate?

Dr. Kennell: It's important to emphasize that a great many fathers have an image that this [birth] is going to be a wonderful, little, private affair for himself and his partner. So they bring their music, their pictures, all sorts of things. With that expectation, many fathers say, "No, we don't want a doula." In our studies, we would have fathers who would say, "I'm going to be there with my wife. We'll be fine." A month later when they got to the hospital in labor, I got many frantic calls. "Can we get a doula? Can we get a doula?" Of course at that point, it's too late. The response upon its is much better than I ever thought it would be. The mothers and fathers are very, very, positive about their experiences with a doula.

Emily Ray is a freelance writer in Atlanta, GA and a frequent contributor to New Life Journal. Dr. Kennell will be a featured speaker at the upcoming Asheville Birth Conference, "Nurturing the Birth of a New Family," on April 2-4, 2004. For more information on the Asheville Birth Conference, call 828-250-5290 or visit www.buncombe.org/abc/

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Do you doula? An exclusive interview with Dr. John Kennell

New Life Journal, Dec, 2003 by Emily Ray

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