What Doulas REALLY do!!

One of the “hazards” of being a “blogging doula” is that there are times that I have some great ideas for posts to write however I find myself to busy with births to be able to have time to get my thoughts into my computer. Such has been the case recently. There is another baby boy AND a baby girl in the world and I am happy to report that everyone seems to be doing very well.

Now that I am back and am putting together a post, I can’t remember any of the great ideas I had before. So, I will write what I know.

I am often asked what moms/couples should bring with them to the labour room in terms of “tools” for comfort. I must be honest, the two most effective items I have with me at any time in the labour process are: my voice and my hands.

I know that I can control almost any situation by being able to get a mom I am working with to listen to my voice. I suppose it bodes well for me that I don’t have a high-pitched, ultra soprano timbre when I want to help focus a mom’s attention. I have a fairly deep alto and it rumbles well in my throat when I want to model low, relaxed vocalization techniques.

Did you know that there is a physiologic correlation between having a relaxed jaw and throat and being equally relaxed in your pelvic floor to facilitate progress in labour? If you feel an overwhelming urge to moan and make noise with your contractions just be sure to keep your pitch low and don’t force the air out. Relax your vocal chords and let the air and the sound escape, slowly, together.

Other than the way I use my voice while talking, moaning, or sharing information with a labouring mom to help her stay focused and happy through contractions I use my hands to help apply counter-pressure on mom to relieve discomfort if her baby is not in the most optimal foetal position. I also use my hands to gently pull relaxation along her body with long, broad strokes of touch. I know that if my hands are moving very slowly and in a direction away from her heart then I will not only be able to calm her with my touch but I will also be able to keep her breathing slow and rhythmic.

I teach couples to have tennis balls, rolling pins, hot/cold packs, massage tools, and their favourite music with them in their bags when going into the labour room. I think all of these options offer them the chance to have techniques that might work well for them without them having to “know” what works at different times in labour.

I teach partners how to touch a labouring woman and I remind expectant mothers to be honest regarding what feels good and what does not. It can be challenging to try to help her feel as relaxed, supported and comfortable as we want to if she doesn’t tell us when we are way “off the mark.”

At the end of the day, I think every couple should have a doula with them in their labour room. I recognize, however, that this isn’t really an option for every couple. That said, many of you would be surprised at the spectrum of services doulas offer, the sliding scales some work with and how many cities have volunteer doula programs in place.

If I can give you more information or help steer you in the right direction to find the best kind of support for you during your birth process, please let me know. I have a multitude of resources at my fingertips.

Some include:
DONA International
Doula C.A.R.E.

Posted by Sam