Tag: doula

The Benefits of Having a Doula Around for a C-Section, Robin Elise Weiss, PhD

A doula is trained to help women and their families while giving birth, whether vaginally or by cesarean. The cesarean surgery rate in the United States alone is at just under 33 percent. This means that nearly one in three women will give birth via major surgery. This surgery may be planned in advance or may be done during labor in either an emergent or non-emergent basis. Learn how professional labor support in the way of a doula can help.

Photo by Rene Asmussen on Pexels.com

The Role of a Doula in a Scheduled Cesarean Sections

You may find that you need to schedule the delivery date of your baby to be born via C-section. The need for this can be for many reasons. If this is how you are giving birth you will still need support from other people. A doula can be the perfect person to help give you this support.

  1. A doula can bring in another set of hands and eyes and ears to help you better prepare for your upcoming surgical birth. She can help you get answers to your questions and formulate a birth plan for a cesarean section. Sometimes your doula can even help you by offering you an educational class on a cesarean section.
  2. During the period before surgery, your doula can help explain procedures to you and help you get answers to any questions that you have, much like she would during a normal labor setting. Your doula can help you manage painful procedures like the administration of an IV or even the spinal or an epidural for your surgery.
  3. Once inside the operating room (OR), your doula will assist you in knowing what is going on by giving you details of whatever you wish to know. Your surgeon and assistants are busy doing the surgery. The nurses are preparing the room for the baby. Your husband or partner is awaiting the baby and, if immediate skin-to-skin contact is not available, may soon go to the warmer to greet the baby. Your doula will be at your side. She can take photos if you desire, particularly after the baby is born. She can remind the staff of any special requests you may have, like letting your husband announce the sex of the baby or to keep a quiet room during the birth. Read more

How Much Do Doulas Cost? Just how much should you spend for doula services? Learn how much a doula costs, what that price includes, and how to budget for it. By Dina Roth Port

Pregnant Businesswomen Telephoning 2003

Having someone attending to your every need during labor and delivery and after the baby arrives home sounds awesome, but will hiring a doula break the bank? Not necessarily. It’s a matter of doing your homework and finding the doula who’s not only right for you but will also fit in your budget. Here’s a look into the important financial matters related to doulas.

How Much Does a Doula Cost?

Regardless of where you live, almost anyone who wants a doula can hire one, though the price of doula services varies greatly depending on your location, the doula’s experience, and the specific services you’re seeking. For instance, in large cities such as New York and Los Angeles, a birth doula (one who’s hired to assist you with labor and delivery only) can cost $3,500 or more. In other parts of the country, though, you can find a doula for an average price of $500. If you’re looking to hire a postpartum doula (one who’s hired to assist you after delivery with lactation support and recovery), the average price can be $25 to $35 an hour, with possible room for negotiation, depending on how many hours are needed. Some doulas may even be willing to work for a nominal fee, or even for free. Read more https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/doula/how-much-do-doulas-cost/

How to Avoid a C-Section (Or at Least to Try) – Dr. Harvey Karp’s Tips –

Want to learn how to avoid a C-section? Dr. Harvey Karp shares advice on reducing your risk of having a cesarean delivery.

Many pregnant moms hope to deliver vaginally and seek advice on how to avoid a C-section. However, as new parents often come to learn, things don’t always go as planned. Even if you’re planning a vaginal birth, it’s smart to pen a separate birth plan for a cesarean delivery, just in case.

If your baby has distress, you have a history of herpes, or you’re having premature labor or bleeding, having a C-section can be a life-saving grace. 

The most important advice I can give is that the best birth memory is always delivering a healthy baby. So, make sure you pick a great team and tell them exactly what you want…then put yourself in their hands. You deserve to experience the full joy of welcoming your baby, however, he or she arrives!

But if you want to try to avoid a c-section, there are a few things you do to stack the deck in your favor!

Hire a Birth Doula

A doula’s job is to comfort and support you during labor. That special encouragement can be so reassuring and de-stressing that it can lower the risk of a C-section by up to 25%.
— Read on www.happiestbaby.com/blogs/pregnancy/how-to-avoid-c-section