All in Doula Support
As a doula, one of the best things I can do to support your labour is create a birthing space that feels safe, private and unobserved.
Why does it matter? Because when you feel safe, private, and unobserved, your labour may be less painful, happen more quickly, and result in fewer complications for you and your baby (want to learn more about this? Check out Dr. Sarah Buckley's work on physiological birth).
You may have known you were going to hire a doula before you even got pregnant or you may not have learned about doulas until your 8th month of pregnancy.
Either way, it’s a good time to hire a doula!
If you’re nearing the end of your pregnancy, you may be worried it’s too late to hire a birth doula but as long as your little one is still inside your uterus, it’s not.
(Once, I was hired by somebody already IN labour so really, if you’re still pregnant, you’re ahead of the curve! 😉)
So while 2020 has been The Worst, that doesn't mean your birth has to be too - you deserve calm, peaceful energy around you as you prepare to bring your baby into the world.
And as long as your baby is still inside your uterus, you can still hire a doula. (Once, I was hired by someone ALREADY IN LABOUR so if you aren't in labour yet, you're literally ahead of the curve!)
Of course, your doula will show up and take care of you and feed you ice chips and wipe your brow and help you through contractions. That's actually just a small part of what we do.
The doulas are the guides.
When the way feels uncertain and unknown the doulas pause, hold the space, and ask the questions until your way forward declares itself. Doulas know how to hold the unknown. We know that the world is rarely black and white. When we hold our fear in the light we observe the uncertainty. Naming the fear and allowing it to be held in safety offers up the opportunity to see solutions.
Doulas know their fellow doulas are our net and the safe place to land when the fear gets too big. Doula work is community. We are community and we are love. To my doula colleagues out there doing their work, this one is for you.
Congratulations! You're pregnant.
We're good friends. I love you dearly and I consider you one of the closest people in my life. I'm over the moon for you and your partner. I seriously love you guys.
Here's where it can get sticky.
I first came across this model of support in this article. I immediately saw how beautifully this could be adapted and applied to supporting pregnant people and their partners through labour and the early postpartum period.
May is International Doula Month and we've been celebrating by sharing a doula tip a day on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We have compiled all of the tips here, in one easy to find resource, just for you. From pregnancy, through labour, and into the immediate postpartum period, we hope you find a few tips here that you can put to good use.
