The documentary The Business of Giving Birth presents the case for women helping women.
Blogger mom of A Much Better blog affirms this in her post on the role a doula can play: absolutely wonderful addition to the modern, medical birthing environment. They are proven to reduce a number of unnecessary interventions, including cesarean. They offer emotional support and in my instances, doulas will gently remind a woman who is being coerced into unnecessary procedures about her original intentions. . .
I witnessed firsthand the beauty of the relationship between a laboring mother and her doula with the home birth of my darling sister-in-law, BreAnna.
My friend Alisa (an experienced doula having given birth to eight herself) became my younger daughter's doula for the birth of her third little one.
I'd love your thoughts on home births, having a doula and midwives.
5 comments:
I had a doula with my third child. It was great having her there. :) My first was a c/s, second was an epidural VBAC and the third was pretty much natural (I asked for something at the very end and they gave me a shot of stadol but I was pushing out the baby so quick, in just a few pushes that they said it didn't have time to take effect).
I think they're invaluable!
So sweet. Thanks for sharing your experience Jennylou. Awesome to have two deliveries after c/s.
blessings ...Lylah
I dream of having a VBAC if God can bless my womb with another child. I would definitely consider having a doula, but am kind of reluctant because with the birth of my son Tien-Tien I had one who just didn't click with me...a fill-in who replaced my normal doula. I was not a happy camper, but thankfully she ended up leaving for a LONG while so I could labor alone. If I had my normal doula, I think I would have been happier. I ended up having an emergency c-section after labor failed and Tien-Tien showed too much signs of distress.
I had a doula for my first 3 births and found her MOST INVALUABLE! I would HIGHLY recommend a doula for a first-time birth, as she can guide mom through labor and pain management like nobody else. I was fortunate that my doula was a good friend of mine, but we still had a lot of interviewing to ensure that she COULD coach me through contractions and especially transition. My greatest regret in any of my births was that she was not present at my 4th birth. She read me well and anticipated my needs and freed up the midwives to do just the medical side of things. This kept them from getting weary during labor. I truly cannot say enough to express how wonderful I think a doula can be.
I found it interesting in the NBC report that they threw a lot of caution in mentioning that the doula could create a problem with hospital staff. Please interview your potential doula well, and if you are doing a hospital birth, check with their policies. I can't imagine a doula making those kinds of comments, but I suppose there are some that would overstep their boundaries in that way. I do believe most doulas out there would not seek to create anxiety or unrest in the mom during labor.
Also, please note, some doulas are only post-partum doulas. This means they don't participate in the birth, but come to help afterwards. They may clean house, cook, run errands, or watch kids while mom sleeps or takes a bath. They may come once a week or more for as long as the family contracts them. Some doulas are only birth doulas. When shopping for a doula, it is wise to ask for how you really want/need her to serve you.
dear youthful one...your comment is a great addition of truth and encouragement to this piece. thanks so much for your input. i always value it.
blessings! lylah
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