Labor Support

1
Labor Support

• How A Doula Can Support You And Your Family
  During Pregnancy And Labor

2
What is a doula??

• Birth doulas (also called childbirth assistants,
  labor support professionals, birth assistants, or
  birth companions) provide emotional, physical and
  informational support during pregnancy, labor,
  birth and immediate postpartum.

What Exactly Does That Mean??
3
What exactly does a doula do?

• Doula is a Greek word for slave. A doula is
  with you during labor and birth to make you as
  comfortable as possible. Whether that be running
  around getting things for you and your partner,
  breathing with you to keep the rhythm, massaging
  you back or feet, or a multitude of other things.
  A doulas job is to ensure you have a safe and
  satisfying birth experience.

4
Why should you hire a doula?

• Numerous clinical studies have found that a
  doulas presence at birth
• tends to result in shorter labors with fewer
  complications
• reduces negative feelings about ones childbirth
  experience
• reduces the need for pitocin (a labor-inducing
  drug), forceps or vacuum extraction and cesareans
  
• reduces the mothers request for pain medication
  and/or epidurals

5
Why You Should Hire a Doula

• Research shows parents who receive support can
• Feel more secure and cared for
• Are more successful in adapting to new family
  dynamics
• Have greater success with breastfeeding
• Have greater self-confidence
• Have less postpartum depression

6
Other Support People and WHY You Should Hire a
Doula

• Father of the Baby/Husband/Partner
• They went to classes with me, they
• should remember right?
• Although you partner may have attended the
  prenatal classes with you, when the time comes
  and you are in labor, he may not remember what to
  do. Doulas have worked with many women and are
  trained as objective participants to know how to
  help you with this intense experience.

7
Other Support People and WHY You Should Hire a
Doula

• Nurses
• They have lots of experience, wont they be there
  to help me?
• Most nurses know that helping a woman through
  labor is the best part of their job.
  Unfortunately most nurses have many patients to
  care for and do not have time to sit with each
  woman and help her through her labor.

8
Other Support People and WHY You Should Hire a
Doula

• Mom/Sister/Best Friend
• They have given birth they will know how to help
  me.
• It is very important to have support from your
  loved ones through this process. However, these
  womens births may have been very different from
  your experience and they may not know how to
  help, especially when they are emotionally
  involved.

9
Doulas Do Not Replace These Key People

• Doulas do not replace any of the people listed
  above or anyone else you want to be at your
  birth. We as doulas are completely focused on
  you and your experience, we have an objective
  place in the room and can more easily focus on
  YOU.

WE WORK TOGETHER
10
Pain Cycle

• How to Avoid Fear
• Education
• Reassurance
• Comfort

Dick-Read, Britain, 1920
11
How To Avoid Fear

• Education
• Reassurance
• Comfort

12
Techniques I Use in Laborto Diminish Pain

• Deep (yoga) breathing
• Massage
• Aromatherapy
• Reflexology
• Cued muscle relaxation
• Hydrotherapy
• Body Positioning
• Use of a Birthing Ball
• Temperature Therapy

13
How To Relieve Pain

• Relaxation
• Massage
• Hydrotherapy
• Breathing
• Changing Positions
• Counter-pressure
• Guided Imagery
• Pain Medications

14
Are All Doulas The Same??

• Just as all births are different, all doulas are
  different also. We all have our own niche.
• I would suggest interviewing a few doulas and
  find someone you CLICK with.
• If you do not feel comfortable with your doula
  for ANY reason, even something that is
  unexplainable, find a new doula

15
Signs Of Life

• I provide doula services for Deaf and Hard of
  Hearing families as well as hearing families. 
  Giving all families the opportunity to learn
  about pregnancy and labor techniques in their own
  language.
• I try to ensure a memorable and joyous labor and
  birth experience. I work to make moms as
  comfortable as possible during labor and
  encourage partners to participate.

16
Services I Provide

• FREE No Obligation Consultation
• Help in Creating Your Birth Plan
• 2 Prenatal Meetings
• Full Contact and Support Throughout the Labor
  Process
• Emotional, Physical and Mental Support During the
  Birth of Your Child
• 1 Postnatal Meeting
• Informational Library Consisting of Books,
  Pamphlets and DVDs to Help Mothers and Families
  Make Informed Decisions
• Referrals to Other Professionals Who Can Help
  Along the Way
• Attendance of Prenatal Visits With Your Care
  Provider and/or Child Birth Education Classes
• Personalized Child Birth Education Classes
• Belly Casting
• Interpreting at Prenatal Visits for Deaf Clients
  and/or Deaf Family
• Baby Sign Classes

17
Contact Information

• Signs Of Life
• Jackie Belau, Birth Doula
• Phone [phone]
• Email Jac7399_at_aol.com
• Web www.Signs-Of-Life.org

18
Additional Resources

• The Doula Advantage Rachel Gurevich,2003
• www.DONA.org Doulas of North America
• www.doulaworld.com

19
Organizations that encourage the use of doulas

• World Health Organization (WHO)
• American Academy of Family Physicians
• American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of
  Canada

20
CONGRATULATIONS GOOD LUCK!!

• I wish you all the best in your pregnancy, labor
  and parenting adventures!!