4 Reasons to have a Doula for your Birth
Help with your birth plan and answer any questions.
This was such a huge help. Our Doula, Jill, gave us a template for our birth plan so we had an idea of what options we had and we weren’t coming up with it on our own. We obviously were first time parents and did not have any idea on what to expect. Jill’s template made us think of things that we did not even consider to think about before going into labor.
Support during labor and birth
Jill was the one that told us when it was time to go into the hospital after I had been laboring all day. I think a lot of people go in too early and they get sent home from the hospital because they are not ready. I was able to labor at home almost all day and then when she came over in the evening, she was able to tell us when our contractions were close enough together to head to the hospital. She taught me different positions to help with the contractions as well as breathing techniques that were not in the "birthing class”. These were especially helpful because I would have just been suffering through the pain in the same position if not for her.
Once at the hospital, she helped with more laboring techniques. Like suggesting the bar. I had no idea that was even an option and I loved having the bar to labor with.
Help make tough decisions in the delivery room
Tough decisions happen all the time in a delivery room. You might be given choices that you were not expecting. I don’t think any birth goes to plan. Things always come up and sometimes you have to make tough decisions. Jill was there the entire time to explain to us what choices we had versus us trying to make decisions on our own about things we had no clue about. Jill knew that I wanted to have a natural birth and was super supportive of that choice. When I needed something to help with the pain, I decided to use the nitrous oxide (read my whole birth story here). The nurses and the doctors tried to tell me that it wasn’t going to work and that I should have just gotten the epidural, even though I was already at 9 centimeters. Now Jill could not tell me what way to choose, but she told me that I did not have to listen to them and if I wanted to Nitrous Oxide that I could get it. She was supportive of this decision and when I was going through the worst pain of my life, she helped me stay true to what I wanted out of my birth. I cannot thank her enough for her support and being by my side the whole time.
Supporting your partner just as much as you during delivery
Now this is something that Joe will 100% agree with. He keeps telling me that getting a doula was the best money we spent during our pregnancy. From his side of the story, he would not have known to do half the things that Jill had told him to do during labor or birth. He was so supportive through the whole process but I could tell that the birth overwhelmed him. He was able to stay calm and be right by my side because Jill had given him ideas of things to say and do while I kept saying I couldn’t do it anymore. Please read his review on Jill’s website here.
Photos are done by Sarah Schwartz Photography