Bethany Dickson (CD DONA)
I believe that the way we come into this world has a profound affect on mothers, their families and the babies themselves. When birth is experienced as a peaceful and empowering process, we gain a new and deep understanding of our own intuition, strength and self worth. We take this knowledge with us through the rest of our lives, making us stronger parents, more trusting humans and a more loving society.
"Of all the ways birth outcomes could be improved, continuous labor support seems like one of the most important and basic needs for birthing people. Providing labor support to birthing people is both risk-free and highly effective. Evidence shows that continuous support can decrease the risk of Cesarean, the use of medications for pain relief, and the risk of a low five minute Apgar score. Labor support also increases satisfaction and the chance of a spontaneous vaginal birth. Continuous support may also shorten labor and decrease the use of Pitocin. Although continuous support can also be offered by birth partners, midwives, nurses, or even some physicians, research has shown that with some outcomes, doulas have a stronger effect than other types of support persons. As such, doulas should be viewed by both parents and providers as a valuable, evidence-based member of the birth care team. There is no evidence for negative consequences to continuous labor support."—Rebecca L. Dekker, PhD, RN, Founder and CEO of Evidence Based Birth®