BRATTLEBORO — Brattleboro Memorial Hospital will host a free screening of “Doula! The Ultimate Birth Companion” (2010) on Thursday, March 28, at 7 p.m., in the Brew Barry Conference Room.
This movie is a 60-minute documentary that follows three doulas as they support parents before, during, and after the birth of their babies. Through close-up documentary footage, the film (www.doulafilm.com) captures the non-medical but highly practical physical and emotional support that doulas offer.
March 22-28 is World Doula Week, which was started as part of an effort to raise awareness of the role of doulas in childbirth. BMH has a volunteer doula program at the hospital now in its 10th year. Any woman who gives birth at BMH is welcome to request a volunteer doula.
Doulas can be hired as well.
Doulas are trained birth attendants whose job descriptions can be quite varied. The benefits of their services include reducing Caesarean births, reducing instrumental deliveries, reducing requests for pain and other medications, shortening the length of labor, increasing maternal satisfaction, reducing the rate of postpartum depression, and increasing the rate of prolonged breastfeeding.
Anyone who is interested in knowing more about childbirth, doulas, or what options are available in this community are welcome to attend. There will be local doulas present to answer questions after the movie.