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Posts Tagged ‘doula’

A “Very Important” Doula Meeting

June 23rd, 2010
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So my husband Ryan was on kiddo duty tonight while I was playing volleyball downtown.  He was playing guitar and chilling and lost track of the kiddos and went to seek them out in our ghetto mansion.  Hearing mischief upstairs he came upon them in the sewing room.  As soon as Azalea (3) heard him coming she met him at the door, barring his entry.  Ryan asked “can I come in?” and Azalea said “No, we are having a doula meeting.”

It turns out that she and Ryker (1) were just unravelling my spools of thread and causing trouble, but I guess somehow she picked up if you are doing something really important and don’t want to be disturbed, that’s a “doula meeting”.  I wonder where she got that.  :)   AS.

5 Reasons Dads Should Demand a Doula

April 23rd, 2010
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From KH Weiss

When my wife told me that she wanted a doula, I was hurt. I truly thought with our first baby that I’d be able to be the end all be all for my wife. She showed me the research. She let me meet some of the doulas. I still wasn’t convinced that it would be the right choice for us. I subscribed to the “If you weren’t at the conception, you shouldn’t be at the birth rule.” My wife wound up vetoing me. Here are the reasons I’m glad that she did:

  1. A doula can spell you.
    I really thought I’d be able to stay awake for a big event like childbirth. Who didn’t pull an all nighter in college? Bathroom breaks? Ha! I mean, if I could ride my bike for hours, drinking lots of water and not needing a bathroom break, surely I could wait a few hours while my wife was in labor, right? Wrong.Thirty hours into my wife’s first labor and I was toast. I’d been up walking with her for what seemed like days as labor began. We’d come to the hospital and there wasn’t any sleeping for me. I was physically tired and mentally shot. The doula really helped me out. With my wife’s blessing, that 30 minute nap I caught helped me to refocus and be back on my game for the big event. And we won’t even talk about how much fun my wife made of me for my small bladder. Needless to say, having the knowledge that my wife had someone else with her while I scarfed down food, went to the bathroom and grabbed a few winks kept me sane.
  2. A doula remembers what she learned in childbirth class.
    I paid attention in childbirth class. I’d hear enough horror stories to realize that there was a huge, comprehensive final exam for this course – childbirth. But when push came to shove, no pun intended, the knowledge went out of my brain. Those early hours of labor I couldn’t remember if we were supposed to eat or sleep, which positions were good or not so good. Thankfully, when the doula arrived, she saved my skin and made me look like the good guy. My wife never really realized that it wasn’t my idea that she try certain positions, but that I’d been privately coached by our doula.
  3. A doula knows the questions to ask.
    When we arrived at the hospital, everyone was bombarding us. Questions were flying from all directions. I was busy trying to help soothe my wife, who was not happy with the bumpy car ride to the hospital. Our doula stepped in and gave them all the information that they needed. Magically doors opened and we were offered a prime birthing room.Our doula also was very helpful in getting information. A nurse or a tech would come in and ask us if we wanted something, like a procedure or a medication. I had no clue. (See above where I forgot my childbirth class information!) Our doula would very calmly ask questions of them and of us until we had enough information to make the decision that matched what we wanted. It was never pushy or mean, just questions. She even reminded us that we could take some time alone to make a decision. That turned out to be a real blessing.
  4. A doula speaks the language of labor.
    Our doula was an amazing translator. I’d ask a simple question like, “How’s the baby?” And the nurse would respond with something like, “The EFM indicates that there are no decels during periods of stimulation.” I’d give her my biggest smile and nod, like I knew what she was saying. Once she left the room, I’d ask our doula, who would carefully explain each part of what had been said. She also helped us decipher what AROM was as well as second stage.
  5. A doula keeps you calm.
    Hard. Labor was so hard. And that’s just how it felt to me. Thankfully, when the going got tough and my wife was in hard labor, it was difficult for me to keep anything in my brain. I forgot everything from childbirth class and all I could think of was “Surely this isn’t normal!” Our doula would smile at me from across my wife on the birth ball and as if she had read my mind, would mouth the words “This is normal.” Her calm smile helped me focus again on loving on my wife and keeping her calm. She showed me how and where to touch, she modeled how to behave quietly and efficiently and she made me the star in my wife’s eyes.

When I first heard about doulas, I thought of them as birth interlopers. Now I don’t know how anyone could manage to give birth without one. Our doula really helped bring me together with my wife as she gave birth. My wife remembers my constant support and never failing love or knowledge. She remembers the doula as a nice person who did some stuff in the background. We won’t give birth without a doula.

So, What Does a Doula Do?

April 14th, 2010
Uncategorized / ,

by Kat Hickey, CD(DONA)

published in the International Doula, Volume 17, Issue 3

I love. I listen.
I empower. I massage.
I believe. I whisper.
I rock. I touch.
I breathe. I thank.
I witness. I praise.
I soothe. I dance.
I encourage. I hope.
I laugh. I cry. I dream.
I love.

Meet the doula: the new must-have accessory for moms-to-be

March 2nd, 2010
Announcements, Events, News / , , , , ,

Release: Immediate

Date: March 2, 2010

Contact: Get Babied! (661) DOULA-61

Meet the doula: the new must-have accessory for moms-to-be

Austin, (Texas) — Arriving at the hospital in labor can be an exciting but scary moment for many first-time parents.  Even though mom may have an excellent, trusting relationship with her doctor, the reality of modern hospital delivery is that the doctor is not called upon until the final throes of labor when the baby is about to be delivered.  That leaves the other 12-24 hours in the hands of the nurse that is assigned and with the ongoing shortage of nurses in most hospitals, patients end up sharing nurses with one or two other laboring mothers.  Instead of leaving the experience of childbirth to the fate of the quality of the nurse, a growing number of women are engaging outside help from doulas.

No doubt the new popularity of doulas owes something to celebrity endorsement. Nicole Kidman had a doula at the birth of her baby, Sunday Rose, last year. ‘I’d heard horror stories of 40 hours of labor,” she said, ”and I was sure that would be me, but I had a very easy labor” Nicole reported to Oprah when discussing the effect of a doula at her birth. Kelly Ripa had a doula.  So did Demi Moore, Cindy Crawford, Jennifer Garner and Ricki Lake. Doulas are the latest Hollywood “pregnancy essential” and moms all over Austin are following their lead.

Ricki Lake’s doula-assisted birth (ABC television)

Doulas are professional childbirth assistants who offer support and information to pregnant women in areas such as prenatal care, breast feeding, mother-infant bonding and postpartum care.   They also provide continuous emotional, physical, and information support to parents during labor and delivery.

Research indicates that mothers who used doulas during pregnancy are healthier, more satisfied with their birth experiences and more likely to breast feed.  Some studies even suggest that if all pregnant women used doulas, childbirth costs could be dramatically reduced, because women who use doulas tend to have shorter hospital stays and fewer complications, use less medication and are less likely to need caesarean sections.

The Get Babied! Doula Collective (www.getbabied.com), the first and only practice of its kind in Austin, takes the role of doula to a higher level of service and professionalism.  The four doulas in the collective share a 24/7 on-call rotation for assisting their clients in labor.  As soon as a mother goes in to labor, she calls the 24/7 on-call number, (661)DOULA-61, and the doula on-call for that day will be at the mother’s side within the hour.  Applying a traditional on-call concept to the practice of doula birth assistance ensures that Get Babied! doulas are well rested, and available any time of the day or night for their clients.  In addition to their unique on-call rotation they also offer many full service packaged childbirth experiences including pregnancy massage, childbirth and breastfeeding classes, lactation consultation, meal delivery, photography, pregnancy bookstore, prenatal and postpartum support, and monthly seminars on pregnancy and childbirth topics.  Get Babied! hosts a “Meet the Doulas” night the last Monday of each month where moms-to-be can meet and get to know the doulas in the collective and the various services Get Babied! provides to ensure a pampered pregnancy and blissful birth.

Get Babied! Doula Collective doula Stephanie Scott applying massage and counter-pressure to comfort her laboring client Manue Reynolds.