Hyderabad: Fernandez Hospital celebrated World Doula Week with a fun-filled Doula Open House and Belly Mapping activity for expectant couples. Over 15 couples who wanted to learn more about how Doulas support couples during pregnancy, labour, and birth attended the Open House. Belly Mapping, an activity for couples more than 32 weeks pregnant, drew mothers to have their bellies painted. 

In line with this year’s World Doula Week theme, Doulas Support You, the Doula team at Fernandez organised an open house to show all the tools and ways Doulas make pregnancy, labour, and childbirth a blissful experience. Through different stations, Doulas showed birthing tools and techniques such as Rebozo, birthing balls, acupressure and massage, aroma therapy, and counselling.

“Fernandez Hospital is the only hospital in the twin cities with full-time birth doulas. The empowerment and support the Doulas offer help birthing mothers feel relaxed and have a positive birth experience. She has a fellow companion supporting her through this journey”, adds Dr Evita Fernandez, Chairperson and Managing Director, Fernandez Foundation.

The acupressure and massage stations enlightened couples on various pain-relieving methods that Doulas use to help mothers ease pain during pregnancy, especially during labour and birth. Birth tools such as birthing cub, the birthing balls, the peanut ball, and the birth stool helped to educate couples on various positions that a woman can birth in and how her doula can help her get in and out of those positions and help her identify which one she is most comfortable in. Through counselling, Doulas gave the couples one-on-one attention and addressed their queries on Doula Services. They also explained the father’s role during labour. The couples also learnt about the benefits of aromatherapy at this station.

Belly mapping uses the mother’s cues to determine where she feels her baby’s kicks. It is a fun activity that couples can indulge in between 32 and 37 weeks of pregnancy to get an idea of how their baby is positioned. Using face paint and a paintbrush, the doulas traced the baby’s position following the mom’s cues and carefully drew the baby’s outline. Expectant couples get a visual depiction of the baby’s body, size, and position.

Doulas are trained non-medical professionals who support women and offer non-clinical care through pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. Their care is focused on one mother at a time. They continuously stay with the mother throughout pregnancy, labour, and birth.