Duchess Meghan has expressed interest in having a natural birth — so much so that reports claim she has been working with a doula. That means curious women everywhere have several questions about what that means, starting with the very obvious: What exactly is a doula?
A birth doula is a non-medical labor support person who is hired to help a woman through the delivery of her baby and may even provide support after the baby is born. While reports have suggested that Meghan would prefer a home birth with her own team of mid-wives, that completely depends on how things are going closer to the time of her delivery.
The fact that this is her first child and she’s over the age of 35 means most doctors would advise her to deliver at a hospital. The most likely choice? Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey. Of course, the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in London, where Kate Middleton delivered her children and Princess Diana delivered Princes William and Harry, is also a possibility. However, recent reports believe that’s less likely because the parking restrictions at the hospital implemented in preparation for Kate’s births have yet to be enforced.
Despite possibly delivering at a hospital, we can ensure that Meghan will have as natural a birth as possible. With a doula? Who knows yet, but here are some questions answered on exactly what that would be like and why she would opt to go that route.
