So, Jeff and I met with a doula today. In case you are unfamiliar with the crunchy-granola, natural birth circles, a doula is a person who is a trained and certified labor support specialist. This person is with you throughout the labor and birth of the baby and helps aid in physical and emotional support for the parents. A doula also acts as an advocate between you and the hospital/doctor/nursing staff to ensure that birthing plans are followed (to the best of their ability and safety).
I had an emergency cesarean the first time and am hoping to have a natural labor and birth the second time around. I felt like my best chance of a successful VABC would be to hire a doula. She can help me make informed decisions throughout the labor process and comes loaded with a bag of tricks! She has birthing balls, and varieties of coping positions and all kinds of aids to facilitate a productive VBAC! I am so relieved! I feel like just knowing that I have someone there who is experienced with L&D and the hospital procedures will be an extraordinary help!
Oh, and the bonus to this wonderful story...she does birthing and post-delivery pictures too!! INCLUDED in her fee! That's awesome! She can take pictures of Jeff catching the little guy as he comes out, or cutting the cord, or of our first family picture- the FOUR of us, or Ella kissing her little brother on the head...oh, how sweet! Then she will make the pics into a slide show (I promise I wont make you watch it) and give us a CD of the pictures and a written birth story!
Needless to say, I am so happy and relieved to have come to this decision, even if it is pretty late in the game. The doula also recommended a chiropractor in the area that is trained in prenatal care who can help with baby placement, making sure that the baby is head down and engaged properly- even furthering to help my chances at a successful VBAC! Hooray!
Lets do this!! Well, lets do this anytime after November 1st. Oh, happy day!
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Yay for you! I just did an intership/clinical hours at a midwife run birthing center, it was a pretty cool experience. (I am in grad school to be a women's health NP) They seem to have lots of tricks I never even knew existed. We often recommended mothers use positions at www.spinningbabies.com You should really check them out, it describes helpful positions and exercises to get the baby in the correct position prior to labor onset, which will help with a quicker labor...expecially since you had a c/s. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jill, I will check it out! I thought about you when I wrote this post, I had remembered you were a L&D nurse. I am so excited that you are almost done with your masters, smarty pants!
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