Post by virginiaorjohn on Dec 11, 2015 11:42:37 GMT -5
I know some of you were interested in what I learned about doulas, so I thought I'd make a thread (and not post in randoms!)
I had an interview with two doulas in my area, and they shared a lot of this with me, plus some I've pulled from their particular contract.
- a birth doula's role is to assist women in labor to have a safe and satisfying birth experience.
- a doula will (most often I think?) have certification from a birthing doula organization
- during your pregnancy, a doula will meet with you to discuss your fears and expectations of labor, so that she can help you address those concerns before and during labor.
- a doula often accepts a limited number of clients per month, so that the chances of her having two births at once is small
- in our case, the doula is available by text or phone during the entire pregnancy.
- the doula will join you and your partner for the entire period of your labor, often up to 48 consecutive hours or more
- during labor, she provides reassurance and informational support to you and your partner, including suggestions for labor progress and, generally, physical support such as massage and other techniques.
- a doula does not perform clinical tasks such as vaginal exams, blood pressure checks, etc (the nurse or midwife will do this)
- during labor, a doula will observe medical staff and speak to you if she sees deviations from your birth plan (I.e. Taking the baby away when you want immediate skin to skin time, not offering to let partner cut the cord, etc)
- after labor, the doula will stay for a short period to help you get comfortable with the baby and answer any questions, establish latch for breastfeeding, etc.
- post birth, often a doula will make a home visit to assist with breastfeeding, answer questions, etc.
In our case, we did sign with a doula (DH finally agreed!) in our area who is part of a team. Thus, if for some reason our doula is busy with another birth, we will have another doula from the team as a backup. The team also runs a birthing prep class, so we can take that class instead of one provided by the hospital. The doula we chose also offers birth photography, although some of the other doulas do not.
I think that's about it! Hope this helps for those of you that wanted me to share what I learned.
I had an interview with two doulas in my area, and they shared a lot of this with me, plus some I've pulled from their particular contract.
- a birth doula's role is to assist women in labor to have a safe and satisfying birth experience.
- a doula will (most often I think?) have certification from a birthing doula organization
- during your pregnancy, a doula will meet with you to discuss your fears and expectations of labor, so that she can help you address those concerns before and during labor.
- a doula often accepts a limited number of clients per month, so that the chances of her having two births at once is small
- in our case, the doula is available by text or phone during the entire pregnancy.
- the doula will join you and your partner for the entire period of your labor, often up to 48 consecutive hours or more
- during labor, she provides reassurance and informational support to you and your partner, including suggestions for labor progress and, generally, physical support such as massage and other techniques.
- a doula does not perform clinical tasks such as vaginal exams, blood pressure checks, etc (the nurse or midwife will do this)
- during labor, a doula will observe medical staff and speak to you if she sees deviations from your birth plan (I.e. Taking the baby away when you want immediate skin to skin time, not offering to let partner cut the cord, etc)
- after labor, the doula will stay for a short period to help you get comfortable with the baby and answer any questions, establish latch for breastfeeding, etc.
- post birth, often a doula will make a home visit to assist with breastfeeding, answer questions, etc.
In our case, we did sign with a doula (DH finally agreed!) in our area who is part of a team. Thus, if for some reason our doula is busy with another birth, we will have another doula from the team as a backup. The team also runs a birthing prep class, so we can take that class instead of one provided by the hospital. The doula we chose also offers birth photography, although some of the other doulas do not.
I think that's about it! Hope this helps for those of you that wanted me to share what I learned.