I am often asked if I only take clients that want an unmedicated birth, which is followed by a long explanation of why they think a Mom planning to get an epidural wouldn’t even need a doula. I have thought about this a lot as of lately. I want to start off by saying that as a doula I support you 100% in ANY type of birth you want and support you with any choices you make during your pregnancy, labor and birth. This is not my birth. It is YOUR birth. You know what is best for you and your family, and I will be there to support you in any decisions you make. I attended a birth with a Mom that made the decision to get an epidural, and after she told me that if I wanted I could go home. She thought that now that she had the epidural she was just going to sleep and wouldn't need me anymore. It broke my heart a little that she thought that, but I assured her that there was still plenty that I could do to help her. She did rest for a little after the epidural was placed, but it wasn't more than an hour later that she realized she still needed me. What do I do when a client has an epidural? Here are a few main things a doula will do: 1. Help maintain the emotions of the room. It can be difficult with all the different nurses and doctors coming in and out of the room to maintain the peaceful, calm, positive energy that the mother wants during her labor. I help keep the mood that the mother desire to have during labor and birth. Keeping the lights down, quiet music playing in the background if she would like, making sure the temperature of the room is just right for mom. Sometimes these things aren’t thought to be important or desired, but they are just as important in a medicated birth as an unmedicated birth. 2. Relaxation When a mom has planned for an unmedicated birth and things didn’t go as planned, a lot of the time her emotions can get the better part of her. She can be disappointed, angry, feel defeated, etc. Just because she may not be experiencing the pain of labor, it is likely that she will still have the feelings of anxiety that come along with birth and becoming a parent. As a doula I will help her stay calm and focus on the birth of her baby by using massage and breathing exercises. Being able to relax is important in any birth to allow progress to happen. 3. Positioning for comfort and progress A mother does not have to say stay flat on her back when an epidural is being used. There are other positions that can be used with an epidural to help labor progress and may be more comfortable for Mom. Working with her spouse we can help move mom around into different positions since she won’t be able to move much without any help. We can use the peanut ball, which helps open the pelvic. 4. Collaborate communication and understanding with medical staff Doulas don’t speak in behalf of clients, but we can help our clients know the right questions to ask, or help you understand what is being asked or requested of you by hospital staff. Medical staff uses a lot of terminology that is not easily understood. A doula can help you understand everything that is being said or done means, and make sure you are ok and agree with it all. 5. Postpartum care After baby is born there is still a lot that goes on that a doula can help with. Making sure that immediate skin-to-skin takes place, assist with the initial breast feeding, helping Mom and Dad get a healthy meal after you are settled, give mom and dad time to bond with baby, and keep visitors to a minimum directly postpartum. I hope that you see the value in a doula no matter the type of birth you have. We are there to support you physically and emotionally in whatever decisions you make for your family and as my motto states, “Working together to achieve your perfect birthing experience.”
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Cinda FishHi, my name is Cinda and I have a Pregnancy and Birth addiction. But seriously, I could talk about it all day long! Archives
August 2016
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