Continuity of care is a continuous caring relationship between a client and health care professional over time. For most people, continuity of care is valuable because it allows clients to build a relationship of trust and understanding with their provider.
However, in today’s fast-paced obstetric and nurse-midwifery models, continuity of care is often sacrificed to provide large-scale services to growing populations. This means that even if you’ve hired a doctor or midwife that you really connect with, that person is not usually present when it comes time to birth your baby. Instead, whichever doctor or midwife is working at the hospital when you go into labor is the one who provides your medical care, and it’s often someone you’ve never met before. While this model may be effective at delivering services within a strained healthcare system, it does not always work well for individuals and families looking for a more personalized labor and birth experience.
This is where birth doulas can fill in the missing link! Having a doula ensures that there is at least one birth professional in the delivery room with whom you have a secure, comfortable, and trusting relationship.
This relationship is built during the prenatal months so that by the time you go into labor your doula is well versed in your family’s unique style, hopes, fears, and goals. A doula works just for you, which means your priorities are her priorities.
This trusted relationship helps families feel more secure, confident and respected within the hospital environment and at a time of significant transition and intensity. It also assures that there will be a familiar and understanding presence during the postpartum to review your birth story with, support breastfeeding, and provide newborn care information. If continuity of care is something you value or desire as a part of your childbirth experience, please contact us so we can connect you with professional doulas in our community.
