QUESTION

Hi Mary,
My name is Rachel, I am 34 and live in Seattle. I have recently decided that I would like to become a postpartum Doula. I have found the Seattle Midwifery school and the DONA website and through them have a fairly good understanding about what the certification process entails.

The two trends in childbirth are moving in opposing directions. One trend is the growing number of hospitals providing homelike accommodations, including Jacuzzis and microwaves. The other trend is high-tech childbirth, beginning in many parts of the country with prenatal testing.

I strongly encourage pregnant women to embrace this truly magical time, a time when their own soul allows the entrance of another into this world. The following is a list of the five things I advise every expectant couple to know.

QUESTION

Dear Mr. Dad,I'm taking a childbirth class with my wife but it really seems geared toward the perfect birth. I know they can't cover every single unexpected thing that could happen, but how can we prepare for contingencies?

You have a million questions about labor. How long will labor last? How bad is the pain going to be? Can I really do this? There is no way to know the answers to these questions in advance, but you can learn about certain procedures now, that will help you feel ready for what lies ahead.

The presence of a professional labor support person -- a doula, for example -- can have a huge effect on the obstetrical outcome of the birth. Randomized, controlled trials on birth support have shown shorter labor, less requests for pain medication, reduction in number of necessary c-sections. Interested in a doula? Here are tips for interviewing and hiring.

Mention labor and delivery to an expectant mom in her last trimester, and chances are good that her heart will begin to race, her mind floods with concern and in some cases, panic.

The word doula is a Greek word that means "Women's Servant." Women have been serving other women in childbirth for centuries and have proven that this support from another woman has positive effects on the labor process. When a doula was present, women were less likely to have pain relief medications administered, less likely to have a cesarean birth, and reported having a more positive childbirth experience.