Recently we told you about how every year, the 22nd March to 28th March is celebrated as the World Doula Week and also what exactly is a doula. According to DONA International, world’s largest and leading doula certifying organization, “A doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to a mother before, during and shortly after childbirth to help her achieve the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible.“
What is The World Doula Week?
The World Doula Week was actually started as the Doula Day on March 22nd 2011 and gradually expanded to World Doula Week. This annual initiative was started back in 2011 in Israel by a Doula herself and childbirth educator, Ruti Karni Horowitz.
Ruti later worked to get CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association), an international certification organization for Doulas, Childbirth Educators and Lactation Educators, on board. And since then this initiative has included all doulas and doula organisations around the world. According to World Doula Week’s official website, a doula has various benefits during birth, including:
- Reduces the incidence of c-sections
- May shorten the length of labour
- Reduces epidural and analgesic requests
- Increases breastfeeding initiation and continuation
- Increases mother’s satisfaction with the birth experience
- Can reduce the incidence of postpartum mood disorders
- Increases new parents’ confidence in the care of their newborn
Why The Annual World Doula Week?
The purpose of World Doula Week (WDW) is to empower doulas all over the world to improve the physiological, social, emotional, and psychological health of women, newborns and families in birth and in the postpartum period. During this week, there are special Doula Week events organised on a global level stating the benefits of the presence of doulas in birth and in the postpartum period.
In fact, March 22nd is chosen as the start of this week since it is the spring equinox, which represents the return of fertility in numerous cultures. If you know someone or are yourself on your journey to parenthood then maybe it’s time to think about finding the right doula for yourself!
