Yep, California sometimes seems to have it all. The beach, the mountains, the redwood forests, the desert, Burning Man, the Sierras, and lots of cool funky people. But did you know that there are also some very awesome things about giving birth in California?
Does your state have some bragging rights as well? Tell me about the awesomeness that is your state, in the comments below. <3 When most people hear the word doula, it is the birth doula that first comes to mind. She who is right there by the mother's side to help her welcome her baby into the world. She provides highly individual support during labor, offers reassurance to the partner and shows them to they can best support mom, and is basically a personal walking talking childbirth education teacher for the parents as they journey through labor and birth. Yes, birth doulas are amazing. We have been shown to decrease your likelihood of cesareans, epidural use, and often lead to shorter labors with happier moms. But there is also another kind of doula out there that has an entirely different role than that of the birth doula. She is the postpartum doula. Just as birth doulas are there to be your personal cheerleader and gentle guide through labor and birth, postpartum doulas share some similar roles. But instead of seeing you through labor and birth, postpartum doulas are there for you in the first few days and weeks after baby is born. We work with a family to determine what kinds of support they may need in the postpartum period, and come up with a schedule that will best serve the family. Typically when I work as a postpartum doula, I will make 2-3 hour vists a few times a week. And what exactly happens at these visits? Your postpartum doula will come in, ask you how everything is going, see if you've showered, eaten, and rested yet, and if your haven't she will support you so you can do these basic tasks. As parents may recall, the first few weeks home with a newborn can be a flurry of sleep deprivation, round the clock feedings, and an upheaval of the routine that was in place before baby arrived. What does your postpartum doula NOT do? Well, she's not a babysitter, so she won't just watch baby while you go grocery shopping. Her role is to help facilitate the connections within the family. And while she will have no problem carrying baby in a sling while you shower, rest, or eat, her main goal will be to help strengthen your bond with your baby, not to care for your baby instead of you. This is sometimes in direct opposition to what you may come to expect with guests who visit you after baby comes home. Sometimes guests will want to hold baby the whole time they are over. Your postpartum doula will say, no, you hold your baby, and let's see how we can make that experience more enjoyable for both you and baby. Postpartum doulas are also not baby nurses. We will not take over full care of your baby for you. We will gladly demonstrate some great tips and tricks on infant care. We will help walk you through diaper changes, burping, baths, and feedings. But the ultimate goal will always be to instill confidence in the parents so they no longer need a postpartum doula. The role of a postpartum doula is fluid, but in general, she provides emotional support, research-based information on newborn care, light cooking and cleaning (sweeping and snacks-yes, toilet scrubbing and 4 course meals-no), feeding assistance and support, and postpartum comfort measures. Postpartum doulas have been shown to decrease the incidence of postpartum mood disorders in both mom and dad, and a stronger bond within the whole family. Who wouldn't want a postpartum doula, to make their postpartum period as wonderful and sacred as it should be? When I am being interviewed by families seeking a doula, I often get this question: “So you do have any children?” I smile sweetly and give my standard answer, “No not yet.” I know this question will come at some point during most interviews. It used to be a question I dreaded. I used to have this nagging voice in my head “Why would they want to hire you? You’ve never given birth, and there are plenty of other doulas who have that experience.” These days, though, my internal chatter has stopped. I know that regardless of whether or not a woman has given birth herself, she can still be a phenomenal doula. In fact, I think I have a couple perks to offer, since I don’t yet have children. #1 I don’t have to worry about childcare. This is a big one! Many, many doulas out there that have children need to coordinate who’s going to watch little ones, drop off and pick up from school, or take care of a sick kid, if they get called to a birth or postpartum situation last minute. Being on-call can be challenging in and of itself, and not having to worry about kiddos yet may mean that I am more immediately available to families. #2 I don’t have any baggage from my own births. Many doulas that have given birth are able to put their own birth experiences, joys, and struggles aside and simply focus on the family they are serving. But this can be challenging. Perhaps a doula wishes things had gone differently during her birth, and she may subconsciously steer her clients toward birth choices she herself made or didn’t make. Without any previous emotional ties to my own birth experience, I can fully hear families’ wishes and support them in their ideal birth or postpartum time. I provide birth and postpartum doula services to the Northern CA area. To read more about how I can help you have your best birth and postpartum time, check out AmberDoula.com |
AuthorAmber Dayney is a Certifed Birth Doula, Professionally trained Postpartum Doula, and a Certified Independent Encapsulation Specialist. She lives near Chico, California, with her boyfriend, 3 cats, dog, and ever fluctuating number of chickens. Archives
January 2015
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