Courtesy Photo Angela Paul is seen helping a father into scrubs. Paul said that she supports fathers as much as she supports mothers during a pregnancy journey.

ALPENA — A local doula says that doula services help expecting parents feel more confident about the birthing process and decreases the use of medications during labor.

Angela Paul, owner of Angela Kristie, LLC, told The News that a doula is someone “who is there to support you through your labor.” She also said that doulas help to educate expecting parents about pregnancy through physical, emotional, and informational support.

Paul said she has been a practicing doula for four years, and underwent a lengthy training process beforehand.

According to Paul, expecting parents are fearful of the labor process and are unsure of what the process will entail. She said that most parents think labor is “just a lot of pain” but that reality is not always the case.

Paul said that having a doula throughout a pregnancy can give mothers more reassurance heading into labor.

“Moms birth with more confidence if a doula is there,” Paul said. “There is a higher satisfactory rate and less medications are used.”

Paul said that she is present before, during, and after a mother’s labor. Prior to labor, Paul said she focuses on educating the mother and father about what to expect during the pregnancy process and prenatal care. She advises mothers on pain management strategies and “what’s going to happen” when she gives birth to her child.

Paul said that she offers support to parents through “reassurance” throughout labor.

“Just having somewhere there that knows birth and reassure them that this is normal,” Paul said. “That reassurance is huge.”

After a birth, Paul follows up with parents and addresses challenges such as lactation issues, postpartum depression, and helps mothers process their labor experience.

An added advantage of doula services, Paul said, is that a doula can “go anywhere.” She said that she attends home births and births in hospital settings.

Though a big part of Paul’s job is to comfort and support the mother, she noted that her services help fathers just as much. In one recent case, she had a father hire her for doula services.

Paul stated that in her experience, fathers often are weary of the birthing process and do not know how to aid or support their wives through a pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey.

In the future, Paul said she would like to see more education offered about birth to ease some common fears that new parents have.

Though doula services are not widely available in an area such as Northeast Michigan, Paul said that she believes that access and popularity in doula services are on the rise.

She explained that because Medicaid covers doula services, more people living in rural, poorer areas, are able to afford doula care.

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.