How would a doula be helpful for your birth experience if you have a partner and would like to have a vaginal birth?

The best way to describe the benefit of establishing care with a doula for your birth experience is the secure feeling of knowing you can soften and go into your zone with your partner. Creating a vision for your birth experience may take time and involve many questions. This vision can be shared and understood deeply by the doula you met with during pregnancy. During birth, it's beneficial not to focus on organizing or being concerned about your surroundings. Between contractions, you'll likely want to rest and calm your mind. The doula is a trained and experienced person available to give a rest or run errands for your birthing partner(s) in case they are tired, hungry, forgetting the comfort touches or positions to hold you.

Free up you and your partner's to do's

Little tasks and errands:

Setting up and keeping the space comfortable for you: dimming the lights, offering warmth or coolness in response to your body, warming up the shower or getting the tub ready, setting up battery powered candles and string lights, aromatherapy,

Observing the time and suggesting and assisting with ordering food before the window closes Making a run to pick up food or supplies

Preparing snacks, nourishment for sipping, ice chips, cool/warm wash cloths

Guiding your birth partner(s) why is this helpful?

The usual communication between you and your partner changes with birth, as things progress you will notice less and less verbal communication. At first, chatting between and during surges may feel normal. As surges strengthen they tend to bring the birthing person inward mentally and away from interacting and talking. During rest time between surges there may or may not be communication or feedback besides a few words, gesture, or sound. As things progress you may go inward for the rest of your birth.

Often, a birthing person closer to the baby's descent may seem reactive and push a suggestion or technique away. It is hard for some partners to know how to respond to this, naturally they think giving space or standing back is needed, but this is often not what they need, with doula guidance, assurance or a shift in how the person is supported can bring you back in sync.

Your doula will gently guide them to comfort and assist in many helpful ways!

Just a calm and grounded presence can help your partner rest at ease that all is going well

A little reminder from the doula of how to bring their partner back into their rhythm can make all the difference, shifts can happen within the birthing person where previous techniques or position quickly becomes undesirable and something new is needed to get back into the rhythm.

Supported time progressing at home: having a presence and support of a trained birth professional to get in a good rhythm with your partner before the green light for the midwives to come or travel is made to the birth suite.

There will most likely be time at home before the midwives arrive, or you travel to the hospital or birth center. Your Midwife or doctor will share their preference for when it's time to be with them for your birth. If you've never experienced "active labor" it may be hard to picture what that time will be like for you? Depending on how far you are from your birth team your surges may be 5-10 min apart and increase in strength before your midwife is enroute or you are leaving the house. The 5-6 minutes apart may be good strong surges that you may want techniques for physical comfort and breathing from your partner and/ or doula.

Some doula's offer early in person support whenever needed, others do phone support until you are closer to active labor. I feel this time is very important to get in a good rhythm and have quality mental, emotional, and physical support. I love to be there early if my clients prefer that. If you both are in your zone when the doula arrives, often things need to be taken care of around the house as you never know when it's going to be time! Animals need to be fed, dishes done, etc.

Continuous support

Birth can occur at any time, including during sleep, and the desire for support can vary throughout the process. Some alone time can feel nice if your in the shower or just deep in your zone.

Partners may need breaks to stay at their best. If you find continuous support is desired, a doula is ideal for providing physical, mental, and emotional assistance during every surge.

Cool or warm wash cloths, sips of water, ice chips, nourishment to encourage progression and energy

Some midwives and labor and delivery nurses offer physical support but a doula's main role is to ensure continuous support while your partner recharges, nourishes, or rests.

Progressing and descent

If needed, a doula can help with suggestions for progressing and guide positioning ideas, and comfort measure support that moves with you.

As baby moves down nice hip squeezes with the doula and partner can be so helpful

If it's your first experience breathing and assistance with directing your energy and resting and relaxing between surges.

Relaxing and directing your energy can help your body and pelvis soften

Capturing sweet moments with photos or videos

Doula's may be free to capture special moments including the moment you meet your baby for the first time!

If rest or feeding support needed after birth: When your ready to sleep and recharge!

Any last minute errands, runs to the store or restaurant so you can settle in and have everything you need.

Do you and your partner need a rest?

In the hospital share with your nurse that you would like undisturbed rest for 2 hours and put a note on the door, staff encourage baby to be in the hospital bassinet while you sleep or being held by someone. The doula can keep an eye on baby in the bassinet and/or hold them to ensure you get solid sleep. Knowing someone is watching your newborn may put you at ease to truly fall asleep. A little movement and warmth can help them rest while you recharge.

Patient and extended time for guidance on infant feeding is available if you desire support from your doula.