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Midwives magazine: Issue 7 :: 2011

Author: Adela Stockton
Publisher: McCubbington Press
Price: £12.99
ISBN: 9781907931000

Review by Elizabeth Worley

This book covers the fascinating origins of the doula role. Adela Stockton covers the essence of their modern role and mother-centred approach, their understanding that birth and new parenthood is not just physiological, but psychosocial too, and the impact this has on our communities. Doula training, networks, regulation and political stance are discussed as well.

Stockton explores and clarifies the distinction between a doula and a midwife, and describes the doula’s role as being there for the mother, as a consistent presence during birth, trusting the ability to birth and to mother her baby, and to protect and nurture the families’ needs.

At first I felt this was aimed mainly at doulas and health professionals, but I soon saw how it would be useful to parents-to-be also.

There is a variety of birth stories, written by both birth and postnatal doulas – new and experienced, and by a father too. These stories cover normal physiological births, a birth of twins, use of a birth pool, a refugee birth story and a highly medical delivery. Included also were stories of postnatal care given by doulas. I would have liked to have read more birth and postnatal stories, as they gave a real flavour of the realities of a working doula, and they showed the effects that birth and early parenting have on the mother involved.

Thought-provoking issues are brought up with regards to regulating, educating and professionalising the grass-roots lay woman doula, because the role of the doula is a personal journey.

I have enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in exploring the doula phenomenon.