I love a great dula, but do not expect them to save you.

Welcome to the All About Pregnancy and Birth Podcast.

I'm Dr. Nicole Calloway Rankin's, a board certified OBGYN who's been in practice for nearly 15 years.

I've had the privilege of helping over 1,000 babies into this world, and I'm here to help

you be calm, confident, and empowered to have a beautiful pregnancy in birth.

Quick note, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

Check out the full disclaimer at Dr. Nicole Rankins.com forward slash disclaimer.

Now let's get to it.

Hello there.

Welcome to this Dr. Nicole Says episode of the podcast. Whether you are a new listener or a returning listener, I am so grateful that you're spending some of your time with me today. So in this episode, I'm going to tell you why you should not expect a doula to save you. Now listen, I love a great doula.

Dulas provide physical and emotional support during labor and the postpartum period.

Most do not have any medical training.

And doulas can be especially helpful when you want an unmedicated birth, but they're definitely

also helpful if you have an epiduralicated birth, but they're definitely also helpful if you have

an epidural or even a cesarean birth. Dulas can also be quite helpful in the postpartum period, too.

Now, I just don't love doulas just because I love doulas because research shows that having a

dula improves outcomes. Studies show that having a doula can shorten

your labor. It can decrease the need for pain medication. It can increase your chances for having a

vaginal birth. So there's definitely data that shows that dealers are great for people having a baby.

Now one thing you may be thinking is, wait, isn't my partner the one who's supposed to be

providing physical and emotional support during labor and birth?

Well, yeah, definitely your partner can do that, but a good dula doesn't replace your partner.

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