STI: More would-be mums get coach for natural births

Mar 31, 2004

More would-be mums get coach for natural births
by Wong Sher Maine

A SMALL but growing group of Singapore women are paying an average of $1,000 to hire birth coaches, or doulas, to handhold them when they deliver their babies, so that they can have natural births without using pain-killers.

Doula means 'mother's helper' in Greek and four centres here offer such services for between $800 and $1,350. The first, ParentLink, started in 1998.

Doulas teach mums-to-be about the birthing process and the pros and cons of medical intervention, and they are with them throughout labour with traditional pain-relief devices such as hot compresses.

In the beginning, their clients were mostly expatriate women, but gynaecologists here say that more locals are asking for doulas.

At the Thomson Medical Centre, there were 100 doula-supported deliveries in the last five years, and none before. Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist T.C. Chang estimates that one in five of those mums is a Singaporean.

'Local women nowadays are very well read and very well prepared, and they really want to approach labour in a more active way,' said Dr Chang, who expects more to seek a doula's help in future.

Ms Ginny Phang, 27, a doula, said business has really picked up. 'Women who have natural births tend to want to talk about what an empowering experience it was and their friends say, 'I want that too',' she said.

Dr Chang said that he wouldn't encourage women with high-risk pregnancies - for example, if they have high blood pressure or diabetes - to shun medical intervention during labour.

Doulas, who are usually in the labour ward with the women, are now welcome at every hospital here except the KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH).

Dr John Tee, who heads KKH's obstetrics and gynaecology department, said it is because the hospital is unsure of a doula's credentials, and there is no recognised body to train and certify doulas.

Certification and credentials appear not to matter to the doulas' clients, since unlike midwives, doulas do not take blood pressure or temperature or perform other clinical procedures.

What the mums-to-be value is having someone knowledgeable by their side helping them to have the natural births they desire - unlike a husband who may not know what to do.

First-time mum Gayle Koh, 34, a marketing and communications manager, who had a daughter in January last year, said her pain-coping strategies included standing under a hot shower, applying hot compresses on her back and kneeling against what is called a birthing ball to push the baby out.

She was in labour for 18 hours and used no drugs to relieve pain, she said. At one point, she thought she might need painkillers, but the doula assured her she was doing fine.

'I don't think I could have had a natural birth without a doula,' said Ms Koh.

'I just listened to her voice; she was very calm and positive throughout.'

But Thomson Medical Centre's Dr Chang offered this caveat: 'Natural birth is not for everyone. It's a personal choice. If women need pain relief, they should ask for it.'