 I want to debunk the notion that Birth Doulas only attend, or push (no pun intended) for a natural birth! A Doula is trained to support you.....the birthing person, no matter choices you make during your labour process. We will be there to answer questions and be flexible to any plan changes. And help you navigate those changes you may not have anticipated.
So you might then be thinking, " if I know I want an epidural or other pain medications, I don't need a Doula." Not true, there is so much that we can do to support and enhance your labour, with or without medication. Movement and positioning matters, more than ever with an epidural. We will work with your nurse to ensure you are moving in your bed, changing positions frequently so baby will be in the most favourable position for the delivery. If a Cesarean birth is planned or becomes necessary Doulas are a calm presence, supporting you and your support person with information and help facilitate bonding with baby after the birth. The benefits and stats on Doulas don't change because of medications or complications. Doulas help you make the best informed decisions for you and provide continuous support to help make your birth experience an empowered one!  We are living in strange times indeed. If someone had told us six months ago that we would be living through a global pandemic.......total disbelief. Covid 19 has changed everything, for everyone. Being pregnant and giving birth during this time means, more stress and less birth options. During this time and really anytime it's important to make sure your getting as much information as you can, so you can use sound judgment when making important decisions for yourself and your baby. Informed consent means that you have been fully informed of the risks and benefits of any given measure, and your consent has been sought. Luckily we all have a super useful tool at our disposal, our brain!
B- benefits- what are the benefits? R- risks- what are the risks involved? Do they outweigh the benefits? A- alternatives- What could you do instead? What would that look like? I- intuition- What is your intuition tell you? How do you feel about what is being suggested? N- nothing- What happens if you do nothing? * It is important to member that doing nothing can have real risks.....see how this works. Use your voice, partners use your voice. You are allowed to ask questions and ask for the things that are important to you to make your birth a positive experience. Make sure you understand and agree to the actions of the provider. It is your birth! Times are strange, but you can still have a empowering experience. Use your brain to make informed choices. |
