By Rhonda Gearing, CD(DONA)
In the words of my 24-year-old daughter, "I will have you with me when I am pregnant because you will give me the security and peace of mind that I need to comfortably go into pregnancy and birth. I would feel safe with the questions I have and decisions I make because I can run them by you. I know it will help alleviate the anxiety…my feeling of needing to know everything before I make a decision. I know that I have the greatest resource and supporter in my corner."
I am a birth and postpartum doula and have been serving families in the Chippewa Valley and surrounding communities for 20 years. It is all my girls have known. They hear me talk, and they know when it is a doula client because I am asking questions, offering encouragement, and sharing information about all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. They see me gather my doula bag and leave home to support a family in labor and delivery. They don’t know if I will be back in several hours or a few days. It is like that for me…and for my clients, but they don’t have to do it alone.
“What is a doula?” I am a trained and experienced professional – providing physical, emotional, and informational support before, during, and just after birth both at home and at the hospital, as well as supporting families during the postpartum period. I do not provide medical advice or perform medical tasks, but I aim to keep my clients encouraged and empowered to maintain an active role in their care. I am happy to be part of the team, together with the midwife or doctor, as my clients maneuver through the journey of labor and birth and beyond.
I am generally contacted directly by the birthing person/support person during the course of pregnancy – as early as, “I just missed my period” and as late as, “I am being induced tomorrow!” As a birth doula, I offer prenatal visits, during which time we talk about the pregnancy and their feelings, hopes, and needs. I also ask how they envision their birth and what would make it a positive experience from their perspective. That sets the tone for how we will work together to achieve their goals. We talk about the natural stages of labor and birth along with what one might expect, possible interventions, medication and natural remedies for pain relief, positions, and options along the way. I also offer assistance in creating a birth plan to express their preferences and desires, empowering them to make decisions for them and their baby.
In addition to our prenatal visits, I offer phone and email support both during the pregnancy and in the postpartum period. When labor begins, I join the birthing person and their support at whatever point they request. My role as the birth doula remains the same whether it is a planned home birth or hospital birth, including if the need arises where medical circumstances require hospital/traditional doctor care.
According to DONA International, research shows that people who use a birth doula are less likely to need Pitocin, less likely to have a cesarean birth, less likely to use any pain medication, and more likely to rate their childbirth experience positively.
About a week after the birth, I make a home visit to process the birth experience with the birthing person and their support and to answer any questions the new family may have, whether it pertains to the emotional or physical well-being of the new parent(s) or the baby.
It doesn’t have to end there! As a postpartum doula, I am an extra set of hands at home with the family as they transition into a household with a newborn or multiples. Perhaps there are also toddlers and/or older children in the family. I can be there through it all, as my clients find their groove. My most common responsibilities are newborn care, light meal prep, light housework (laundry, dishes, tidying) and companionship for the new parent(s). Studies show that this kind of support can help reduce postpartum mood disorders and improve breastfeeding success (DONA International).
Someday, I look forward to supporting my own daughters as they give birth to my grandbabies. In the meantime, I would love to serve as YOUR “peace of mind, in a person.”
If you are interested in learning more about doulas, visit www.dona.org or www.rhondagearing.com.