The Doula’s Role of Parental Support during the Perinatal Period : Considerations from a Clinical Psychology Perspective

シュウサンキ　ノ　オヤ　ヲ　ササエル　ドゥーラ　ノ　ヤクワリ　リンショウ　シンリガク　テキ　シテン　カラ

スガオ, ショウコ

Sugao, Shoko

オオサカ ダイガク ダイガクイン ニンゲン カガク ケンキュウカ キョウイクガクケイ

Department of Education, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University

A doula is a female professional who provides sustained emotional and physical support to expectant mothers, lying-in women, and new mothers. As a doula is neither a physician nor a midwife or a nurse, she is not involved in medical interventions. Instead, her role has been reported to lessen the need for such interventions as well as to diminish the risk of childbirthrelated complications. The occupation of doula is already a common one in Europe, the United States, and Canada, but it has yet to gain popularity in Japan. This paper is therefore aimed at summarizing the essence of the psychological support that doulas provide, not only in times of childbirth but also in cases of miscarriage and stillbirth. To this end, we discuss what aspects of doulas’ support correspond to parents’ utmost needs. The doula’s role seems to be essential for parents who have encountered miscarriage and/or stillbirth as she helps them to recognize the misfortune as their own experience, as well as to contain their feelings towards the lost baby. In so doing, their parental identity is eventually restored.