Doula Fresno

I recently acquired my birth doula certification through DONA International (Doulas of North America) so now I can proudly display the credentials of CD(DONA) after my name. Here is short excerpt from the DONA website that explains a little more about the organization and the certification process:

“With over 7000 birth and postpartum doula members and growing, we are the largest doula association in the world. We support doulas by providing quality training and meaningful certification. We serve mothers and families by providing access to information and research about doulas, childbirth and the postpartum experience. DONA International certification sets the bar for doula education and professional development. It indicates to families that a doula has achieved a high level of training and professionalism.”

To become a DONA International certified birth doula:

The majority of the dads that I have had the privilege of working with as a doula (some of them are pictured here) have said that having a doula there allowed them to become more involved in the labor than they would have been if I had not been present.  Each time I hear this, I am reminded at how opposite this is from what people assume about a doula and a dad’s role at a birth.  A good doula doesn’t take away from the good things that are happening between a dad and a mother.  If they are doing well on their own, then she steps back and is respectful of that.  The intimacy that they share is a very valuable element in the birthing “team”.  He knows his woman far better than the doula does and can speak to her needs with wonderful intuition at times.  I love seeing that unfold between a couple.  However, the doula’s role is a wonderful complement to what a couple can do on their own.  Penny Simkin’s article below explains some of the myths on this subject:

~Andrea

The Doula and the Partner: How They Work Together to Help the Birthing Woman

by Penny Simkin, P.T.

When a doula discusses her role with women or couples, she may feel a little uneasy when asked exactly what she has to offer. She may find it difficult to give an answer that reflects her usefulness without seeming that she is bragging. The most common question regarding doula care for birthing couples: what about the woman’s husband/partner/loved one? There are many valid concerns often raised by couples considering doula care for childbirth. For example:

1. Partners who have taken childbirth classes may wonder, “Why bother with a doula?” The classes theoretically prepare the father or loved one for that role, and it appears that a doula is redundant.

2. The doula might interfere with the couple’s intimate experience, since she is nearly a stranger to them.

3. The doula may try to make the woman have the kind of birth the doula wants, not what the woman and her partner want.

Some couples worry that the partner will be pushed out, that the doula will assume that she can do the job better and will relegate the partner to a minor role. On the other hand, some women worry that their partners will not be able to help very much, but are hesitant to suggest a doula for fear of hurting the partner’s feelings. And some partners want help, but they feel insecure about their ability to meet all of their wife’s or loved one’s needs.

Here I will discuss some of the myths or concerns about doulas, along with the realities. They may clarify how a doula works with a woman’s partner.

Myth #1: If a woman has her partner, the doula becomes redundant.

Reality: The doula may be the only person at the labor beside the partner who is there solely for the emotional well-being of the woman. The nurse, the doctor, the midwife have other priorities that compete with the emotional care of the woman; for example, breaks, shift changes, clinical responsibilities, office hours and hospital policies. The doula has few or no other priorities. She stays through shift changes, and until after the baby is born. She is not just another stranger with the couple. She has the woman’s needs as her sole priority.

In some cases, the couple will bring several other friends or family members into labor with them. Sometimes these people can be uncertain of how to help, which leads to confusion and actually adds to the woman’s stress. The doula can direct and coordinate the efforts of a group of people, giving them all something useful to do, so they work as a team on the woman’s behalf.

Myth #2: The doula “takes over,” displacing the partner and interferes with their intimate experience.

Realities: The doula can actually bring the couple closer. By making sure that the partner’s needs are met (food, drink, occasional back rubs, and reassurance), the woman and partner can work more closely together.

The doula allows for the partner to participate at his or her comfort level. Some partners prefer to be there only to witness the birth of their child and to share this experience with the woman they love. They may not want to play an active role and do not want to be responsible for the woman’s comfort and emotional security. The doula can fill in and allow the partner to participate as he or she wishes, without leaving the woman’s needs unmet.

When the partner chooses to be the major source of emotional support, the doula can supplement his or her efforts by running errands, making suggestions for comfort measures, and offering words of reassurance, and comfort. During a long tiring labor, she can give the partner a break for a brief rest or change of scene.

For the partner who is shy, uncertain, or unversed in his or her role, the doula suggests simple but truly useful tasks, such as timing contractions, holding the woman, supporting her in a particular position, massaging her. In such situations, the doula might take the lead, but the partner plays an important secondary role.

While the doula probably knows more than the partner about birth, hospitals and maternity care, the partner knows more about the woman’s personality, likes and dislikes, and needs. Moreover, he or she loves the woman more than anyone else there. The combined contributions of partner and doula, along with a competent, considerate and caring staff give the woman the best chance of an optimal outcome.

Myth #3: The doula has her own beliefs about how the birth should go, and imposes it on the woman or couple.

Reality: The doula’s true agenda is to help ensure that the woman’s or couple’s agenda (their birth plan) is acknowledged and followed as much as possible. If the doula is thoroughly familiar with the couple’s wishes and their birth plan, she may actually think more about it than the couple, especially when labor is intense and things are happening rapidly. The doula can remind the staff or the couple of some items on the birth plan that are forgotten, but which later might be important. Sometimes if a birth plan is not followed, the couple later look back with regret or disappointment.

The doula helps with decision-making by asking questions that will ensure that the right information is given to the woman or couple so that they can make an informed decision. She may also suggest alternatives (like waiting awhile) for the couple to consider. She does not, however, make decisions for the couple.

In summary, the doula helps make the birth experience to be as rewarding and satisfying as possible. As one father said, “I heaved a big sigh of relief when she (the doula) walked in. I hadn’t realized how much pressure I had been feeling. She not only calmed my wife, she calmed me down.”

Click HERE to read another article on dads and doulas.

You might be wondering if there is a point to having a birth plan for labor, birth and postpartum care for a mother and her baby.  Do the caregivers even look at the plan?  Will making one just set the mother up for disappointment if everything doesn’t work out exactly how she wanted it to?  Is it just a waste of time since birth can’t really be planned?

I tend to feel that creating a birth plan is a great way to educate yourself during your pregnancy about your choices and evaluate the risks and benefits of different interventions.  If you were looking into buying a house or a car, you would look at all the different features, research all your options, ask questions and evaluate the answers before buying one.  So why wouldn’t you have the same approach when it comes to the birth of your child?  However, I also feel that creating a birth plan can be driven by fear of things outside of our control and it is important to be clear about the purpose of a birth plan.

Finding a balanced approach to birth plans can be tricky.  Marsden Wagner describes a birth plan as, “an approach to labor, rather than a term for a specific kind of outcome” (Wagner 1).  He views a birth plan as a tool to be used to work toward a woman-centered childbirth.  Even though many aspects of labor are impossible to plan for, it is still the mother’s right and responsibility to be fully informed about the different types of maternity care available to her.  Pam England is more cautious of birth plans because she feels that it can distract a mother from trusting herself and her body for what she needs at different moments during labor.  “All women ask for the same thing:  respect, dignity and support to birth naturally with minimal routine intervention and no unnecessary separation from the baby” (England 97).

Since birth can’t be planned, it might make more sense to call a birth plan a birth guide.  This better defines what it is- a guide for your support team and caregivers to use along with you while you make decisions during childbirth.  “Remember, your birth plan is a wish list.  Its purpose is not to control birth itself, since birth, as a force of nature, is actually under no one’s control.  Rather the birth plan aims to educate you, help you make decisions and communicate them to your caregivers, and thus, to influence the care you receive” (Wagner 219).

So are birth plans important?  I feel that they are, as long as they are approached with the full knowledge that they are meant to be flexible and the main goal of putting one together is to educate yourself.  Childbirth is such an important time for a mother and it shouldn’t be looked upon lightly.  “Producing a healthy baby is a major goal of birth.  But a successful birth outcome involves so much more than mere survival.  We should not disregard the human impact of childbirth.  Positive laboring experiences set women up to become good mothers and more confident people.  Some people climb mountains or run marathons to find out what they are capable of.  Giving birth presents a comparable opportunity for the woman who decides to become a mother.  It can reveal her to herself and transform her self-image” (Wagner 4).

If you’d like to learn more about the different aspects of care to consider when writing your birth plan and for specifics suggestions for putting your plan together, I will be leading a Create Your Birth Plan class through Mommy Matters Online along with local Fresno doula, Gena Kirby.  Click HERE to schedule a spot for you and your partner today!

Sources Used

England, Pam, and Rob Horowitz.  Birthing From Within.

Wagner, Marsden, and Stephanie Gunning. Creating Your Birth Plan:  The Definitive Guide to a Safe and Empowering Birth.

One year ago, I began my journey into “Birth World” when I took my doula training workshop.  My trainer wasn’t from this area and I didn’t know too many doulas in Fresno so after the workshop, I had to really seek out other Fresno doulas.  I was able to connect rather quickly with some wonderful ladies who had been doing doula work for awhile.  My good friend, Amy, was one of them.  She had actually attended the birth of my first baby so she was one of the first people I turned to for mentoring and advice.  Lisa Gartin, Gena Kirby and Marie Santos were a few other ladies who I began to call for advice and direction in getting my business off the ground.

They all encouraged me to get involved with Childbirth Resource Network (CRN) a network of parents, birth professionals and other service providers in the central San Joaquin Valley. CRN’s goal is to help guide anyone seeking to know more about their options in creating a healthy and happy pregnancy, childbirth, and transition to parenthood.

So I got started right away attending CRN meetings and doing my best to connect with other birth professionals in the area.  In the meantime, I was also working hard to plug away at the other requirements for my doula certification through DONA (Doulas of North America).  For more information on requirements for doula certification, click HERE.

Through Amy, I was able to attend my first birth in June of 2009.  Amy had asked me to be her “back-up” doula since she knew she would be going out of town close to the mother’s due date.  I was able to meet the mother beforehand and get to know her and what she was hoping for in her birth experience.  After attending the birth in June and getting the business part of my doula work set up, I was ready to go.  Things have been moving at a good pace ever since.  I feel blessed to have been present for five births (as of today) as a doula.

In some ways, I had to be very outgoing to get the information I needed to get started.  I had to gather a little from one place, a little from another and glean what I could while trying to maintain organization all at the same time.  A few months ago, I started getting emails and phone calls from other ladies in the area who were wanting to become doulas in the central valley.  They were calling me for some of the same advice that I had been seeking just a short time ago.  I then learned that my doula trainer would be returning to the area in March of 2010 to do another training.  The doula profession seemed to be growing quite suddenly and I found this to be very exciting.

Some of us “veteran” doulas have decided to set up regular doula meetings so we can learn from each other and help the newer ladies get started.  As of now, a directory of sorts is being compiled so that it will be easier to find all the doulas in the area, all in one place.  You can check it out by clicking HERE.

I’ve also started to partner with Mommy Matters Online to do back up for births and to help teach classes.  Mommy Matters offers a wealth of information and resources to pregnant women and new families alike.  I’m proud to partner with the other doulas in this area.  We are all doing what we do for the same reasons- to educate, support and nurture parents as their families evolve.

Written by Andrea Cole

I have been married to my wonderful husband for 8 years and we have two boys ages 4 and 2. My boys are lively and bursting with personality. They definitely keep me on my toes!

There were many different factors that influenced my journey to “birth world”. I started out in college wanting to be an elementary school teacher and although I did over a year of substitute teaching during that time, I decided I wanted to go a different route with my career. After getting my Bachelors Degree, I worked for 2 ½ years with a local mentoring program but decided to stay home once my son was born. When he was almost 1, I did some tutoring for elementary aged kids for awhile, then I worked at my church a few afternoons a week maintaining their website. Things got a bit busier when my husband and I welcomed our second son into the world before our oldest had turned 2. Needless to say, we’ve got our hands full! I am currently able to be home full-time, excluding my work as a doula. It has been my pleasure to stay home with my boys.

Becoming a doula was something that I really started thinking about after the birth of my second son. For me, giving birth both times had been so empowering, emotional, exciting and wonderful all at the same time…not to mention, extremely hard work! I just felt this strong desire to share my experience with other women through helping them during this unique and special time in their lives. I feel that as a doula, my role is to help you have the most satisfying birth possible- as defined by you.