Exploring the Role of Doulas in Unmedicated and Medicated Births

As a birth doula, I believe every birthing person deserves support, no matter how they choose to bring their baby into the world. Whether you’re planning an unmedicated birth or opting for pain relief through medication, my role is to ensure you feel informed, empowered, and supported throughout the process. There is no “right” way to give birth—only the way that feels best for you and your baby.

The moment everything changes. Raw, powerful, and beautiful—this is birth. Every cry, every breath, every heartbeat reminds us of the strength it takes to bring life into the world.

Supporting an Unmedicated Birth

An unmedicated birth typically means laboring and delivering without the use of pain medications or medical interventions. Some people choose this path because they want to experience the full sensations of labor, avoid potential side effects of medication, and want to follow in their body’s signals to birth naturally. If this is your plan, my focus is on providing tools and techniques to help you manage labor without medical intervention. This includes and is not limited to:

• Breathing techniques and relaxation exercises to promote calmness and reduce tension. Controlled breathing can help you work through contractions more effectively and keep your body relaxed, to help with progression. Did you know your mouth is connected to your cervix? Drop your jaw to relax and dilate!

• Massage and counter-pressure to help ease contractions. By applying pressure to specific areas of your body, I can help relieve discomfort and promote relaxation during the waves of contractions.

• Positioning and movement suggestions to encourage labor progression and comfort. Squatting, swaying, using a birthing ball, or walking can help your baby move into the optimal position for birth.

• Hydrotherapy (using warm water for pain relief) through showers or laboring in a birth tub.

• Emotional encouragement to help you trust your body’s natural ability to birth. Labor can be intense, and hearing affirmations and words of support can make a significant difference.

• Creating a calming birth environment with dim lighting, soothing music, and aromatherapy to support relaxation and focus.

  
  

An unmedicated birth can be an incredibly empowering experience, and having a doula by your side ensures you have continuous support to help you stay focused and grounded. While hospital staff may come and go, I will remain with you the entire time, offering you all the doula love.

Supporting a Medicated Birth

If you choose or need pain medication, such as an epidural, my role as your doula remains just as essential. A medicated birth does not mean you are any less strong or capable—it simply means you are making the best choice for your body and circumstances. Here’s how I support you:

• Providing information so you can make confident choices about pain management. I’ll explain the benefits and potential side effects of pain relief options so you can make an informed decision.

• Helping with positioning to keep labor progressing even when mobility is limited. With an epidural, movement is restricted, but I can assist in adjusting positions that encourage baby’s descent and optimal alignment for birth.

• Guiding breathing and relaxation techniques to work with your body during contractions. Even with medication, controlled breathing can help manage anxiety and support the labor process.

• Advocating for your birth plan  so your wishes are respected, even with medical interventions. This includes helping communicate your preferences to medical staff and ensuring your voice is heard.

• Providing emotional reassurance if labor takes unexpected turns. Sometimes, interventions like inductions or C-sections become necessary. In these moments, I provide comfort, answer questions, and help you feel at peace with the process. Most of the time, I attend you in the OR as well (dependent on hospital).

  
  

A medicated birth is still YOUR birth, and my goal is to help you feel comfortable, informed, and supported every step of the way. You deserve to feel in control of your experience, no matter how your birth unfolds.

The Common Factor... Continuous Support is ESSENTIAL!

Regardless of how you give birth, a doula’s presence reduces stress, promotes confidence, and enhances the birth experience all around. Research has shown that having a doula can lead to shorter labors, lower rates of medical interventions, higher chance of spontaneous labor, and a more positive birth experience overall. My role is not to decide what’s best for you but to ensure you have all the evidence based information, comfort, and encouragement you need to make the right decisions for yourself, your family, your baby.

Birth isn’t about choosing one “right” way—it’s about making the decisions that feel best for you. My job as a doula is to walk alongside you, ensuring you feel safe, strong, and supported no matter what path your birth journey takes.