DOULA IRELAND

Visit www.GentleBirth.ie for more details on our highly acclaimed workshops and homestudy program.

Doula Ireland has been providing Doula services to families in Ireland since 2005. We are also the only internationally accredited Doula Training organisation in Ireland.

Congratulations on your pregnancy !

Whether this is your first or your fifth baby, being pregnant is such an exciting and sometimes scary time. Information is coming at you from every angle...you have decisions to make..... appointments to keep.... and for many women you're also trying to hold down a full time job too ! As you're probably realizing being pregnant and preparing for the arrival of a new baby feels like a full time job in itself.

Most mums who come to my website are here because they just 'know' there has to be a better way to give birth in Ireland.....a more informed, relaxed and confident way.

With approximately 30,000+ babies being born just in the Dublin hospitals each year and only 30 delivery beds (and 2 baths) it's not difficult to see why more and more Irish women are searching for better ways to give birth, ways they can have more confident and gentle births for themselves and their babies.

I invite you to stay a while and browse our website and discover for yourself how we can best be of service to you during this very special time in your life.

Wishing you a wonderful birth !

Tracy

How Having a Doula Makes a Difference

How will you remember your baby’s birth…..in 10 weeks…...in 10 years? We never forget our babies births....even when you're 85 and can't remember what you had for dinner the day before you'll always remember how you were treated during this very special time. The day of your baby's birth is so much more than just another day.... and it's memory - positive or negative will stay with you forever. Apart from the many medical benefits i.e. shorter labours, less caesareans, less use of the oxytocin drip the psychological benefits are also well documented including less PND.

Did you feel listened to? Did you feel respected? Were you treated kindly? Did you feel like you were the most important woman in the world during your labour? Did your partner feel involved, respected and supported? In our busy maternity units you won't always have a calm supportive presence. Midwives often have to support more than one couple or she may have to leave you during labour as her shift ends. Your clinical care and documentation takes priority. Having a doula who is focused on you and your partner makes couples feel like they are the only family having a baby in that hospita (or at home) at that time. Your doula's primary goal is your satisfaction - after all we're hired by you - not the hospital.

Preserving a positive birth memory is the goal of our doulas – not whether you have an epidural or not....whether you have interventions or not. It is about you looking back on the birth of your baby with a sense of satisfaction. Feeling that you had the best birth experience for you - whatever path it takes. Having additional support in labour can also help you avoid post natal depression afterwards and increases breastfeeding success.

During your labour you will feel supported in each and every one of your choices starting in the comfort of your own home, giving you the reassurance and confidence to remain home as long as you feel comfortable. Doulas are also becoming a common sight at homebirths helping couples remain calm while waiting on their midwife to arrive and continuing supporting the couple after their midwife has arrived.

During your pregnancy we assist you in finding evidence based information to support the kind of birth you want and work closely with your caregivers to help you prepare for a safe, empowered birth.

Birth is first and foremost a gift we give to our children. The chance to come into the world, onto this planet with dignity and a gentle transition is a priceless gift to our yet unborn - Marcie Macair

The Irish Guide to Caesarean and VBAC

Everything you need to know about Caesarean birth and VBAC options in Ireland.

The Better Birth Book - Taking the Mystery (and Fear) out of Childbirth

Your Guide to a Great Birth !

Are you looking for a book about pregnancy and birth in Ireland? A book that gives you the inside story on materntiy practices in Ireland, a book written by an Irish Mother working in Irish hospitals.

The Better Birth Book contains everything you need to know from choosing a hospital to choosing pain relief.

How to increase your chances of having a normal birth
Create and communicate your birth preferences.
Is it ever too late to get an epidural?
Induction - what happens and why most women don't need it
How safe is homebirth? How to find an independent midwife.
What are my options if my baby is breech?
Waterbirths
Tips to help your partner be the best support possible.
Strategies for having a natural birth
How to avoid an episiotomy
Having a positive cesarean
What about having a normal birth after a cesarean?

In addition to providing comprehensive guidance and advice on how to have a stress-free and positive experience, The Better Birth Book also provides a wealth of data on the policies and outcomes at maternity hospitals in Ireland, the rates of caesareans, episiotomies and other routine procedures, the growth in home births, water births and other alternative childbirth options and a comprehensive directory of midwives, birth assistants and other childbirth practitioners in Ireland.

What the Irish Times