Penny Simkin: Using Doulas for Birth Care
Mandy- Doula in St. Louis
~ Birth Doula ~ Saint Louis, Missouri
Showing posts with label doula. Show all posts
Showing posts with label doula. Show all posts
Wednesday
Tuesday
Holding the Space: A Doula's Best Gift
by Pam England, CNM, MA
Once, there was a hospital midwife in Albuquerque who earned a favorable reputation among parents for her unusual form of labor support: she sat in the corner of the room and knitted. Initially I anticipated mothers would feel the knitting-midwife was not really present to them, but in fact, every mother I spoke with said she was comforted by the midwife knitting. One mother recalled her experience:
Mandy-Doula in St. Louis
Once, there was a hospital midwife in Albuquerque who earned a favorable reputation among parents for her unusual form of labor support: she sat in the corner of the room and knitted. Initially I anticipated mothers would feel the knitting-midwife was not really present to them, but in fact, every mother I spoke with said she was comforted by the midwife knitting. One mother recalled her experience:
Mandy-Doula in St. Louis
Sunday
Why Invite a Doula?
A doula is a woman who is experienced in childbirth, through becoming a mother herself and/or by attending many births. A doula can be trained and certified or may enter the profession via her life and birth experiences. Doulas provide emotional, practical, and physical support throughout labor and birth. Many doulas work with expectant parents during pregnancy and in the postpartum period as well.
Ideally, doulas provide support to both the laboring mother and her partner or family. Research shows that when the mother and father are “mothered” in labor and early postpartum, the parents experience a “halo” effect postpartum, i.e. they start off feeling more confident in their new parenting role.
In most communities, there are doulas who offer labor and postpartum support privately, and some hospitals provide doula services for an additional cost.
Why invite a doula to your birth?
Many women intuitively feel that having another woman present throughout labor would be helpful. Having a familiar face staying by her side helps her feel more prepared and confident in coping with the intensity and unknowns of birth. A doula doesn't provide medical care, so she can completely focus on the emotional and physical support of the laboring woman.
Many fathers and partners feel reassured by the presence of a doula. Because few people in our culture (especially men) attend a birth before the birth of their own child, it is helpful to have someone who is experienced in birth be a continuous and comforting part of the birth experience. When the partner wishes to be the primary support person for the laboring woman, the doula is able to be the extra pair of hands and eyes who helps out where and when needed.
There are many reasons why some people do not hire a doula. Sometimes a couple wants to have birth be their experience, and they feel that an additional person may diminish or intrude upon it. Perhaps the couple feels confident and has a lot of mutual trust. It can also be a financial decision,so a doula is not hired in order to save money.
Some things to consider if you or your partner are reluctant to hire a doula:
A trained doula can help create and protect intimacy within the birth space. If labor is long or challenging, the primary support of even the most devoted father/partner might dwindle in sheer exhaustion. Doulas help partners discover their own strengths so that they can better support the mother. And if finances are an issue, ask around for volunteer or low-cost doulas, ask for doula services as a shower gift, or save your pennies. Doulas are worth it!
Sometimes parents think that a close friend, family member, or a friend who is a labor & delivery nurse or maternity nurse would be a great labor support, because they’ve had experience in birth. The person who will support you MUST trust birth, trust you, and have enough experience in birth that she can be a creative resource in helping you through labor’s sudden twists and turns. If the person at your birth is used to managing problems in birth, she will not necessarily know how to reassure you or make suggestions for getting through normal labor. Doulas are trained to provide emotional and practical support, both to the mother and to her partner. They are fully dedicated to being present and respectful of the mother and her birth experience.
Find out more about BIRTHING FROM WITHIN® Doulas
Mandy-Purple Lotus Doula in St. Louis
Ideally, doulas provide support to both the laboring mother and her partner or family. Research shows that when the mother and father are “mothered” in labor and early postpartum, the parents experience a “halo” effect postpartum, i.e. they start off feeling more confident in their new parenting role.
In most communities, there are doulas who offer labor and postpartum support privately, and some hospitals provide doula services for an additional cost.
Why invite a doula to your birth?
Many women intuitively feel that having another woman present throughout labor would be helpful. Having a familiar face staying by her side helps her feel more prepared and confident in coping with the intensity and unknowns of birth. A doula doesn't provide medical care, so she can completely focus on the emotional and physical support of the laboring woman.
Many fathers and partners feel reassured by the presence of a doula. Because few people in our culture (especially men) attend a birth before the birth of their own child, it is helpful to have someone who is experienced in birth be a continuous and comforting part of the birth experience. When the partner wishes to be the primary support person for the laboring woman, the doula is able to be the extra pair of hands and eyes who helps out where and when needed.
There are many reasons why some people do not hire a doula. Sometimes a couple wants to have birth be their experience, and they feel that an additional person may diminish or intrude upon it. Perhaps the couple feels confident and has a lot of mutual trust. It can also be a financial decision,so a doula is not hired in order to save money.
Some things to consider if you or your partner are reluctant to hire a doula:
A trained doula can help create and protect intimacy within the birth space. If labor is long or challenging, the primary support of even the most devoted father/partner might dwindle in sheer exhaustion. Doulas help partners discover their own strengths so that they can better support the mother. And if finances are an issue, ask around for volunteer or low-cost doulas, ask for doula services as a shower gift, or save your pennies. Doulas are worth it!
Sometimes parents think that a close friend, family member, or a friend who is a labor & delivery nurse or maternity nurse would be a great labor support, because they’ve had experience in birth. The person who will support you MUST trust birth, trust you, and have enough experience in birth that she can be a creative resource in helping you through labor’s sudden twists and turns. If the person at your birth is used to managing problems in birth, she will not necessarily know how to reassure you or make suggestions for getting through normal labor. Doulas are trained to provide emotional and practical support, both to the mother and to her partner. They are fully dedicated to being present and respectful of the mother and her birth experience.
Find out more about BIRTHING FROM WITHIN® Doulas
Mandy-Purple Lotus Doula in St. Louis
Tuesday
The Midwife and Doula as Natural Remedy
The Midwife and Doula as Natural Remedy
Michel Odent tells the story of a researcher who was working in a hospital and sat in a room with women in labor. He did not do anything except sit in a corner and write notes. The labors were shorter and there were fewer complications. When he left months later the same old long, interfered-with and complicated labors ensued. Just his presence, though he did nothing, affected labor and birth. That is also Michel’s explanation for the knitting midwife. Her quiet non-watching positively affects birth.
When I labored during my first homebirth it was just my hubbie and homebirth doctor, chatting about the home repairs they needed to do. I thought, “Well, if something was wrong they wouldn’t be talking calmly about home repairs.” I labored for less than an hour that way and Doctor Tom handed me my baby after three pushes. I was at home and home is where people belong in everyday life and in birth, if everything is okay.
I vividly remember a hospital in Poland I visited about 12–15 years ago. There was a woman walking the halls and alone in labor. My reaction was to stay with her, but I was just passing through. I remember feeling sad. At another hospital there were three women in labor. Two of them were panicking and moaning, needing only human love and touch. The other was being threatened with a cesarean for no reason at all. I felt so helpless but tried for my 15 minutes there to help the women. I actually got the laboring women to become calm, just through love and presence and attending.
Human presence, touch, love, care and calmness are perhaps the greatest natural remedies we have in our birthkits. We might call ourselves “humandurals”! We can take these remedies to any prenatal visit or birth. They don’t need to be washed, autoclaved or re-packed. We need to do the constant work of being kind, loving, caring and non-judgmental, as well as knowledgeable. When we nurture those traits in ourselves, we have the very best natural remedy God ever created for birth.
— Jan Tritten, mother of Midwifery Today
Jan Tritten is the founder, editor-in-chief and mother of Midwifery Today magazine. She became a midwife in 1977 after the amazing homebirth of her second daughter. Her mission is to make loving midwifery care the norm for birthing women and their babies throughout the world. Meet Jan at our conferences around the world, or join her online, as she works to transform birth practices around the world.
Jan’s Facebook page: facebook.com/jan.tritten
Jan on Twitter: twitter.com/jantritten
Midwifery Today on Facebook: facebook.com/midwiferytoday
International Alliance of Midwives on Facebook: facebook.com/IAMbirth
Midwifery Education: Caring and Sharing: facebook.com/MidwiferyEducation
Jan on Twitter: twitter.com/jantritten
Midwifery Today on Facebook: facebook.com/midwiferytoday
International Alliance of Midwives on Facebook: facebook.com/IAMbirth
Midwifery Education: Caring and Sharing: facebook.com/MidwiferyEducation
Thursday
A Doula Makes a Difference
Karen Nugent
Issue 87, March/April 1998
We located our doula, Lori, through a birthing center. I was aware of Doulas of North America and found out that she is a member, so I telephoned her to see if we were "a match" before Paul and I met with her in person. From our first conversation, I knew
that she would be the one to help us through our big event. She provided us with specific information regarding her services, along with a portfolio containing a job description and a contract outlining our agreement for services and fees. The contract included unlimited prenatal consultations, early labor and delivery support, transportation to the birth site, continuous care until two hours postbirth, lactation assistance, and postpartum care. The orientation packet also contained information on nonmedical support techniques for labor and birth, inducing exercise, acupressure, massage, aromatherapy, herbal therapy, color therapy, and use of a birthing ball--a large gymnastic ball for sitting or rocking. This was my favorite birthing tool, as it helped immensely with the incredible back labor I endured.
A three-hour consultation with Lori and her partner followed this first meeting. We discussed my needs for labor support and began to formulate a birth plan that, when complete, would be duplicated and distributed to any medical personnel we would potentially come in contact with at the birth. Having this plan in hand would enable us to focus on the birth, rather than having to be concerned about conveying our wishes to people we hadn't met. This became one of our most beneficial exercises, especially when we unexpectedly found ourselves in the hospital on the night before the birth.
Read More.....
Mandy-Saint Louis Doula
Issue 87, March/April 1998
We located our doula, Lori, through a birthing center. I was aware of Doulas of North America and found out that she is a member, so I telephoned her to see if we were "a match" before Paul and I met with her in person. From our first conversation, I knew
that she would be the one to help us through our big event. She provided us with specific information regarding her services, along with a portfolio containing a job description and a contract outlining our agreement for services and fees. The contract included unlimited prenatal consultations, early labor and delivery support, transportation to the birth site, continuous care until two hours postbirth, lactation assistance, and postpartum care. The orientation packet also contained information on nonmedical support techniques for labor and birth, inducing exercise, acupressure, massage, aromatherapy, herbal therapy, color therapy, and use of a birthing ball--a large gymnastic ball for sitting or rocking. This was my favorite birthing tool, as it helped immensely with the incredible back labor I endured.A three-hour consultation with Lori and her partner followed this first meeting. We discussed my needs for labor support and began to formulate a birth plan that, when complete, would be duplicated and distributed to any medical personnel we would potentially come in contact with at the birth. Having this plan in hand would enable us to focus on the birth, rather than having to be concerned about conveying our wishes to people we hadn't met. This became one of our most beneficial exercises, especially when we unexpectedly found ourselves in the hospital on the night before the birth.
Read More.....
Mandy-Saint Louis Doula
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