Doula Support Services
Birth Doulas - amazing for any parent, any birth, any baby, any where!
What is a Birth Doula ?
At Birth World, we take pride in the rigorous training and ethical standards our doulas uphold. BirthWorld Doulas are trained through Antenatal Training International, who holds the highest of standards of training and regulation within in the UK, ensuring your doula is highly professional and competent, for your safety and peace of mind.
Our doulas provide emotional, physical, and informational support during pregnancy, labour, and postpartum. They are by your side to offer comfort measures, advocacy, and reassurance, ensuring a smoother and more fulfilling birthing experience. Helping you to achieve the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible – not matter how you wish your birth to be.
The word “doula” comes from ancient Greek, meaning “a woman who serves,” and that is precisely what BirthWorld doulas do—they serve you, without judgement, without bias, ensuring you feel supported and empowered throughout your birthing journey.
Why HIre a BirthWorld Doula?
- Provide 121 support and guidance creating your birth plan
- Be on call from 36 to 44 weeks of pregnancy to ensure they attend your birth. Will provide support no matter where you give birth or what your birth plan contains
- They can attend any antenatal appointments with you, to support communication with your maternity team
- They may co-work with another birth doula to ensure coverage – in which case you will meet both doulas before birth.
- Some doulas will also run antenatal and hypnobirthing classes, and offer discounts to attend, so you can forge connections and friendships.
- Minimum of three antenatal and three postnatal visits.
- If breastfeeding is important to you, you may want to look for a birth doula who is also qualified as a Breastfeeding Counsellor, Breastfeeding Consultant or IBCLC depending on your needs.
AND you get access to our online antenatal programmes !
Research-Backed Benefits of Having a Birth Doula
Reduced Interventions
Research shows that the continuous presence of a birth doula reduces the likelihood of medical interventions such as forceps. A study published in the "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews" found that women who had continuous support from a birth doula were 39% less likely to have a caesarean section.
Reduced need for pain management
Studies have shown that the presence of a doula can reduce the need for pain medications during labour by as much as 10%. Women supported by birth doulas are less likely to request epidurals or other pain relief drugs.
Shorter 'Happier' Labours!
A birth doula can help shorten labour by providing physical and emotional support. According to a study in the "Journal of Perinatal Education," women with doulas had an average labour that was 25% shorter than those without. They also reported higher birth satisfaction and better emotional well-being.
Improved Emotional Outcomes
The continuous presence of a birth doula during labour and delivery have demonstrated that mothers experience less anxiety during labour and are less likely to suffer from postpartum depression.
Breastfeeding Success
A birth doula's support can lead to higher rates of successful breastfeeding. The "Journal of Obstetric, Gynaecologic, & Neonatal Nursing" reports that mothers with doulas are more likely to be successful with breastfeeding
Our Birth Doulas are Certified and Regulated by:
Common Questions
Your Questions Answered
It’s a great idea to start looking around for an antenatal class early on in your pregnancy. You want to be confident the person leading the class is knowledgeable and experienced. By following them, signing up to email and and free gifts they offer, this will help you get to know them before you make a firm choice to book their classes.
Well, this really depends on what you want to get from the class or service. Start by answering this question. If you want human support and friendship after the birth, then opt for “in-person” classes. Then look at what other services they offer, if having continuity of support and care is important to you, then this should also be on your list. If you are happy to be searching separately for every service you may (or may not need) then this may not be important. Do they perhaps offer something different to everyone else? Do they focus on a particular type of birth, does this align with your needs?
Lastly, it is impossible to cover everything you may want to know during a class, you may decide that having an online area that helps you recap, and remember what was covered in class, but also teaches about other areas may be useful to you. Read more…
Independent teachers will often set themselves apart from a brand to things “their way”. This is great if you are seeking something particular - for example, if you are spiritual and want to include ritualistic aspects that are not “mainstream”. This does mean they are not held to any standard or quality (the industry is legally unregulated so most logos don’t have any real “meaning of quality”).
A brand has a reputation to uphold and as such often requires their teachers to maintain regular training updates. They usually require teachers to run classes based on their particular philosophy. You can find out more about the industry variations and the BirthWord difference here…
Well, you have three options. The first is to look at traveling a little further afield. Many of our teachers have very beautiful venues as such our parents decided to book a local hotel and a mini break of the weekend. We also run VIP pamper weekends at luxury hotels where you can access all our classes, relax, and through enjoy your time in beautiful surroundings. The final option is that everything is also online! When you book a class you automatically get access to the birthworl portal. So you could opt for the online-only option and still receive the BirthBliss bag and live online support. You wont miss out on any content or support.
Most recommend booking around 32 weeks. Personally, we feel this is a little late. Birth begins before labour and is just one part of the lifetime journey that faces you. By connecting with us earlier on you gain extra support, extra knowledge, and extra confidence. Research shows that continuaty of care also improves outcomes for both parents and baby. Besides being more comfortable taking part in a class when you are not heavily pregnant you also make lifelong friends earlier in our journey. Read more…
We suggest starting at the beginning… with the antenatal class, then hypnobirthing. The rest follow really in whatever order you wish. We are very different in the way we give each segment a true focus. You may notice that some antenatal class also cover babycare and postnatal - they do - in about 2 hours, or drop in hypnobirthing - again in about 2 hours or just give a few tracks to practice. Birthworld emphatically believes that this simply isn't good enough. Parents ALWAYS regret not covering the postnatal side or baby care in more detail, and you cannot learn hypnobirthing in under 6 hours. Walk away if they tell you otherwise. Why not look at the content of our classes and how we lay them out to compare?
Once you have found your class of choice please navigate to the teachers profile page. Please find the classes they offer on the bottom of the page, from there you can click on the book now button that will allow you to pay the deposit and secure your booking. If you have any further questions please feel free to email us.
If you are having issues when trying to book your class please email us. We can either fix the issue or you can use another method of payment to secure your booking.