World Doula Week 2014
Continuous labor support, including support provided by doulas, is one of the most effective ways to decrease the cesarean rate.
Amarillo, Texas (PRWEB) April 16, 2014
Praeclarus Press celebrates April as Cesarean Awareness Month, as promoted by the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN). With the national average of c-sections over 30%, many are realizing there seems to be an epidemic of interventions in the birthing process. In February 2014, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine issued a joint Obstetric Care Consensus statement: Safe Prevention of the Primary Cesarean Delivery. Highlighted was the recognition that measures can and should be taken to reduce the number of primary c-sections. Among the recommendations was that women consider the support of doulas for childbirth as their presence during labor can reduce the chances of cesarean section.
It is evident that the collective commitment doulas share to women’s birth experiences is changing the culture of birth. Doulas are part of the framework that comprises the midwifery model of care, which views birth as a normal, not pathological event, and where the rates of interventions, such as epidurals and cesarean sections, tend to be lower. Midwifery care is not available to the majority of American women, but hiring a doula can provide many of the same advantages, especially at a time when the rates of cesarean sections are at an all-time high.
Whether looking at doulas from the perspective of Christine Morton and Elayne Clift in their book, Birth Ambassadors: Doulas and the Re-Emergence of Woman-Supported Birth in America, or through the lens of Salle Webber a postpartum doula with over 30 years experience in her book The Gentle Art of Newborn Family Care, clearly there is a real need for women to have additional labor support as they become mothers. And then a continuation of that support model as families emerge from the birth experience.
For information about our webinars with Christine Morton and Salle Webber on the practices of doulas, as well as our webinar with Jen Kamel of VBAC Facts, please visit the webinar section of our online store.
Salle Webber has been serving families as a professional postpartum doula in Santa Cruz, California since 1988, and has been a teacher of the gentle art of caring for families with newborns. She is known for her wisdom, humor, and tender touch with babies and mothers.
Christine H. Morton, PhD is a research sociologist whose research has focused on women’s reproductive experiences and maternity care roles. Since 2008, she has been at Stanford University’s California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, where she conducts research on maternal mortality and morbidity. Elayne G. Clift, MA is a writer, journalist, and Humanities adjunct professor. She has worked internationally as a health communications and gender specialist, and is an educator/advocate on maternal and child health issues. A volunteer doula and Vermont Humanities Council Scholar, she has edited anthologies and published fiction and poetry collections, a novel, and a memoir.
Praeclarus Press is a small press founded by Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, Ph.D., IBCLC, FAPA and specializes in women’s health. It features books, webinars, and products that support women's health throughout their lifespan. Based in Amarillo, Texas, the mission of Praeclarus Press is to produce materials that change women’s lives.
