Frequently Asked Questions

LABOR DOULA FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: WHY SHOULD I HAVE A DOULA?

Statistics on doula attended births: Klaus, Kennell and Klaus (1993) states that:

“The presence of a Doula:

  • Reduced the cesarean birth rate by 50%
  • Reduced the length of Labor by 25%
  • Reduced the use of Oxytocin by 40%
  • Reduced the request for pain medication by 30%
  • And reduced the rate of Epidural usage by 60%

Women who had a Doula present during labor reported feelings of having coped well with labor, described greater satisfaction with the birth, had less anxiety after birth, and reported improved relationships with their partners after the birth. These women had higher self esteem scores and lower post partum depression and anxiety six weeks after delivery.

There were numerous benefits to the babies as well:

  • Babies had fewer neonatal complications
  • Babies had fewer workups for sepsis
  • Babies had fewer health problems at six weeks than the infants of women who had not had a doula present during labor.”

(Quoted From Childbirth Education, Practice, Research and Theory by Nichols and Huminick)

Doula Services include the following:

  • I am “on call” and available to you 24/7 for four weeks…two weeks before and two weeks after your due date.
  • Help for the couple to create a birth plan that they are comfortable with and that the doctor and nurses can reference to understand the couples’ birthing choices.
  • I will defend the Birth plan without giving medical advice or challenging the medical staff.
  • Post partum support until a breastfeeding relationship is established.
  • I commit to 20 hours at the birth with the couple. After 20 hours, I will offer the services of my backup Doula. (I will reserve the right to call on my backup Doula for a rest break after 18 consecutive hours without sleep, or when I feel that I need additional help or support to be the most effective for that particular birth.)

Q: AS MY DOULA WHAT SERVICES DO YOU OFFER?

First a GENERAL answer:

My first priority is to protect the birthing environment for the parents.
A doula is a woman who attends to the birthing FAMILY before, during and after birth.

A Labor Doula typically meets with the parents in the second and third trimester of the pregnancy. She will want to know the history of the current (and any prior) pregnancy. She will ask the parents what their ideal birth would be like and then use her training to help them achieve that birth.

A Certified Labor Doula (CLD) is trained to deliver physical and emotional support during labor. At the Hospital, a doula works cooperatively with the hospital staff to get mom settled and comfortable with laboring in the hospital environment.

If you are delivering in a hospital, a doula eases the transition from laboring at home to laboring at the hospital.

A doula is also the laboring couples CONSTANT and PERSONAL caregiver.
Nursing staffs at the hospital change every 12 hours, the doula stays with the couple throughout the birth.

A Doula is the go-between with nurses and other medical staff.
She provides support and is an ADCOCATE so that mom and dad can focus on having the baby and their ideal birth.

A labor doula also offers physical labor support to the birthing mother. She can provide non-medical help. For example, if the baby is in a posterior position, the doula can either provide (or help the husband or partner provide) counter pressure, massage and other pain relieving support moves.

A Doula can also in the event of an emergency help by providing assistance for the couple to understand what is happening and she can provide help and suggestions for the parents as they discover and weigh all of the available options.

Certified Doulas also help mother establish a good start the their breastfeeding relationship with the newborn.

And now, a more specific answer:

  • My PERSONAL goal as a Child Birth Professional is to help mothers learn how to abandon the cultural norms about birthing.
  • I choose to remind women that birth can be one of the most powerful moments in their lives.
  • I choose to help mothers look back and feel satisfaction and JOY at their births.
  • I choose to teach women that they do not have to be tied to the bed to give birth.
  • I remind birthing Women that since the beginning of time the vast majority of women have labored and delivered in upright positions, drug free and with positive reinforcement and support from the other women in their circle of influence.
  • I choose to EMPOWER women to look to their hearts, their roots and their ancestors…to feel the strength of all womanhood as they bring a new life into the world.
  • I want to be the facilitate women and their partners to be active participants in labor and birth. …Not just patients in a hospital.
  • I choose to educate women about being “consumers of medical care” instead of “patients in a hospital”.
  • I choose to teach women that pregnancy and birth are NOT medical events…they are rights of passage.     These are Moments of sheer power. And that it is their right as a woman to seek fulfillment from birth.
  • I offer Energy tools such as therapeutic grade essential oils and therapeutic gemstones specific to childbirth.
  • I specialize in creating blends of essential oils for mother and baby.
  • I bring the opportunity for increased Spirituality to a birth…I believe that birth is a Spiritual event and respect the Sacredness of it for mother, father and baby.

Q: HOW CAN YOU HELP ME SAY AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE WHILE IN LABOR?

Really, I will do whatever you want. Some options are:

  • Suggesting a position change to help baby move.
  • Encouraging you to listen to your body so we can find a position that will be effective yet as pain free as possible.
  • Helping with breathing so mother and baby receive adequate oxygen to labor.
  • Offering the birth ball as a labor option (I provide one for you to borrow)
  • Cool cloths
  • Warm compresses
  • Massage
  • Support for DAD so that HE can keep you focused Emotionally.

This is one of the issues we cover in CBE classes and in prenatal visits. It is different for each woman.

Q: BESIDES DRUGS, HOW CAN YOU HELP RELIEVE THE PAIN OF LABOR?

I can and will assess the situation and may offer any of the following:

  • Watch a movie, laugh with your partner. Laughter relieves tension and stress.
  • Go for a walk. Walking helps with labor and is a distraction.
  • Work with you to achieve active relaxation.
  • Count with you during contractions. Some people find relief by focusing on the pain.
  • Prayer or scripture reading
  • Guided imagery
  • Visualization exercises
  • Breathing reminders (too many to detail in this presentation)
  • Humming, chanting, singing, SOUNDING.
  • Warm water, shower, bath or birth tub
  • Light gentle strokes
  • Massage
  • Walking/lunging movements
  • Slow dancing with your partner
  • Pelvic rocking
  • Dancing (I have a lending library of ancient birthing music)
  • Aromatherapy (I specialize in using therapeutic grade essential oils.)
  • Hot or cold packs
  • Birth ball
  • Counter pressure
  • Undivided attention from your husband, while I work with other pain relieving measures during contractions
  • Encouragement, praise, compliments
  • Provide Patience and reassurance.

Q: IS IT IMPORTANT FOR MY HUSBAND AND I TO TAKE BIRTH CLASSES?

Yes! It is VITAL.
As part of my Childbirth Business, I offer a series of two private classes.
I also offer Group classes (enrollment is limited, schedule soon if you are interested!)
If you don’t want to take them from me, I can refer you to some GREAT instructors!

Q: WHAT HAPPENS IF YOUR ARE UNAVAILABLE WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR ME TO HAVE MY BABY?

When you go into labor, please call my cell phone. If I do not answer, leave a message and IMMEDIATELY dial back.
If you still do not get me, please call my home phone number.
If you still cannot reach me…IMMEDIATELY call my back up Doula.

She will come and support you and continue attempting to get into contact with me, so you can focus on laboring.

PLEASE note…this has NEVER happened…it is just a standard contingency plan so that you are NOT ever without support when you need it!

I will TRY to have you meet with my back up Doula before taking you on as a client, to be sure that ALL of our personalities mesh and we are all comfortable with each other.

If there is not a back up Doula on your birth contract (meaning you choose not to have one) and you can not get in touch with me for me to attend your birth, you will be refunded the remaining half of my fee, as per my letter of agreement.

Q: CAN YOU ASSIST ME IN LEARNING TO BREAST-FEED?

ABSOLUTLEY!!!
We will work on this a BIT before the birth, but I have successfully breastfed four children and am very comfortable offering you beginning support.
If at any time I feel that you need more help than I can offer, I will refer you to a local Certified Lactation Counselor.

Q: HOW MUCH CAN MY HUSBAND BE INVOLVED AT THE HOSPITAL

A Doula NEVER replaces the husband!
I provide support for him as well.
Part of being a doula is being there so that HE can be absolutely available for YOU;
My job is to deal with all of the other minor issues, (getting water, ice, compresses, help with pain management etc.)
Bottom line, he can be involved as much or as little as he wants.
I am also there so that when he needs to take a break, mother still has constant support.

Q: DO YOU PROVIDE PRENATAL AND/OR POSTPARTUM VISITS? WHAT CAN I EXPECT DURING THESE VISITS, IF OFFERED?

PRENATEL:
A two way interview, so that we can evaluate if we are compatible.
I will then get a brief history of your pregnancy etc and we can talk about what you want for your birth.
** I may also bring my back up doula to a brief meeting after this initial meeting with the couple.

SECOND VISIT: (if possible, about two to three weeks before your EDD)
We will talk about any pain you are having, (sometimes we can tell if baby is posterior and can start dong things to help baby turn before labor).

I can provide essential oils and other products for private couple birth preparation.
We will also go over all of your thoughts, wishes, desires and plans for the birth again, so there is absolute clarity between us and so that I am sufficiently informed in order to be as much help as possible.

POST PARTUM VISIT:
I will help with breastfeeding.
I will make sure that mom and baby are bonding well and reassure mom that the BEST place she can be for the first ten days is IN BED with baby.

Q: WHAT WILL YOUR ROLE BE IN EARLY LABOR?

Whatever you need it to be. If you feel that you need mw there to help, I will come.
Otherwise, I can provide phone support and allow you and your husband privacy in early labor. I will come when you ask me to.

Q: CAN YOU ASSIST ME WITHOUT BEING IN THE WAY OF THE DOCTOR, NURSES, OR MIDWIVES DURING LABOR AND DELIVERY?

ABSOLUTLEY! A Doula never offers medical advice. We can inform you of your options, we can help you remember things we talked about before you were in labor, we can offer non-medical pain relief etc.

We do not replace doctors or nurses…we work with them so that mother can have her ideal birth.

MANY nurses LOVE Doulas…a Doula does the things that nurses no longer have time to do in a birthing center atmosphere. The nurses are busy with as many as SEVEN patients each. Your doula is just for you.

Jessica Wild
Angel Dance Birth Services
Doula (Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, AZ)
Phone (480) 985-8314
Cell (480) 236-3366
www.angeldancebirth.com

Call or email for an interview/appointment
References available upon request.