Welcome to Brandywine Valley Doula Services, where our mission is to make our clients' prenatal, birth, and postpartum environment as full of peace, support, and respect as possible. We are committed to providing compassionate, research-informed, and individually tailored care to every client.
TraditionWe acknowledge the historical precedent for doulas and see ourselves as a continuation of a sacred tradition.
Doula Meghan supports a birth at Lifecycle Womancare. Photo by Rachel Utain Evans.
The word "doula" originated in ancient Greek and referred to a female servant. Today, doula refers to a skilled birth attendant. Until the Victorian Era and the medicalization of childbirth, it was normal to have support from birth-experienced peers. It is a lost art to have the continuous presence of calm, knowledgeable peer support. Furthermore, as the average American family has two children, most people do not have the opportunity to become truly comfortable and experienced with childbirth. Therein lies the value of a doula- an experienced labor support person. |
ResearchDoulas as the subject of research: studies suggest the presence of a doula leads to better birth outcomes for parents and babies.
Photo by Meghan Beck
Research suggests doulas reduce the need for a cesarean by as much as 52% (Kozhimannil et al., 2016). This is great news as the CDC has identified a need to reduce the current United States cesarean rate of 32.2%. Doulas also reduce the need for intervention such as epidurals and increase maternal satisfaction even if intervention is needed. More funding for research regarding doulas is needed to determine likely causes of these differences. For a great rundown of the current research, see www.dona.org/cesarean-rates/.
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InnovationWe combine modern research with ancient wisdom to bring you the most supportive and empowering birth experience possible.
Photo by Meghan Beck
We value research about birth and keep ourselves up-to-date on evidence based practices. We also value traditional wisdom about birth and the postpartum period. Underlying these commitments to quality information is our commitment to client-centered care. We believe empathy and unconditional positive regard are foundational to the emotional safety all birthing people deserve. We trust our clients to make good decisions for their bodies and babies. We believe that each parent, baby, and birth is unique and special.
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