Modern Views of Birth and Why Hire a Birth Doula?
I find that when I talk to pregnant people about birth, they’re usually (not always, but usually) in one of 2 camps:
If folks have done some research on birth, watched documentaries like The Business of Being Born or maybe they’ve read books like Crib Sheet or Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, they likely believe wholeheartedly, maybe idealistically that a “natural”, unmedicated birth is best always. They want to allow their bodies to do what they are physiologically made to do with no medical interventions. These birthing people often view birth as a natural thing their body can do in most cases on its own and feel empowered to be active participants in their labor and birth. I find that these birthing people are the most likely to hire doulas.
The majority of pregnant folks I talk to fall in the second category, those who trust their OBs and hospital staff to know what’s best for them during their labor and birth experience. They take the hospital childbirth classes and these folks may view birth more as a medical procedure you go into the hospital to get done. They know a basic amount about birth, but don't know that there is more to know. I also think almost all of hospital staff including doctors and nurses fall in this category. Not that they don’t know a lot about childbirth, but they do believe it’s inherently risky and unpredictable and is pretty much always best to be under the supervision of a doctor in a hospital setting. Most OBs are not trained in any kind of unmedicated labor and birth. They are trained in interventions and what can go wrong.
I am not saying this to judge anyone for whatever camp they’re in. And also you may find you’re somewhere in between these two views - that’s awesome too! And if you are pregnant and reading this now, please know that I am not judging you. I just think it’s important to be aware of what view you have and what view your providers have. I do think that no matter what your view on birth is, hiring a birth doula can help you. Doulas are not only helpful if you’re planning an unmedicated birth or home birth. Doulas are for every birth!
I feel like the system of how we prepare pregnant people for birth in this country doesn’t give them the right tools to have positive birth experiences. There are many reasons for this. The divide between the medical model of care and the midwifery model of care is too wide. I think the profit/liability models of most hospitals interfere with the ability of medical professionals to care properly for their patients. Also, the variability of care between medical professionals is huge. There is a statistic that in California Hospitals the Cesarean rates for induced labors can range between 18.5% and 84.6% depending on their individual care providers. Imagine depending on the OB or hospital you choose, your chances of having a Cesarean could be 18% or 85%! Another reason that we have a hard time currently may be that we have moved from times where we were more in touch with our bodies and their capabilities and toward intellectualism and productivity mindset. The current hospital/medical model of birth is letting many birthing people down (1 in 3 birthing people when surveyed have said they felt like they were treated badly by doctors or nurses in the hospital), and midwifery care can be expensive and inaccessible. I also think in this day and age, when we have a lot of trust in science, thinking of giving birth at home or in a birth center without doctors can feel very risky or scary. I feel like the role of the birth doula right now is not only to support women in trying to have unmedicated labors, but also to help bridge the gap between the medical and midwifery model of care in the hospital. L&D Nurses are there and great! They can do some of the things birth doulas do (and also more) but they are running around between many patients and spending time documenting and charting and just are not able to support laboring folks continuously. Sometimes also partners (husbands, boyfriends, mothers, etc.) can be so very helpful to the birthing person, but oftentimes they don’t know exactly how to give their partner the support they need and can get emotionally affected by seeing their partner in pain.
I really think we can do better! I think we can have a more collaborative, teamwork mindset when approaching labor and birth. I believe we can empower birthing people to make decisions that make sense for them, to understand the capabilities and limitations of their bodies and minds, and also not overlook what I believe is one of the most important considerations - the trust within the birth team. I think we can do more to make environments more conducive to birth and to help birthing people be mentally and emotionally prepared for this experience. I believe even though birth can be unpredictable, there’s a really good chance you can have a positive birth experience no matter the type of birth you end up having.
This is my work as a birth doula. I want to help birthing people understand the things that go into birth; not just the possible medical interventions, but also understanding themselves and their emotions, fears, and desires so they can have as much peace and comfort as they can going in. I am also there continuously during labor and birth with attention and care for whatever the birthing person needs in that time whether it be listening, encouraging, massage, comfort measures, snacks, or help knowing what questions to ask. I believe the desire to have the birth you want is valid, no matter if it’s unmedicated at home, in a hospital with an epidural, or an elective Cesarean or anywhere in-between. If you are considering hiring a doula, I would love to connect and talk to you about it and how you can have the support you need during this transformative time.