What do you mean she had a doula with a c-section?
Birth Doulas are sometimes believed to only be used by those seeking unmedicated or natural vaginal birth. In reality, birth doulas attend both medicated and unmedicated births, as well as cesarean sections (C-sections).
When I was pregnant with my daughter I didn’t think about hiring a doula. My daughter’s birth turned into an emergency c-section and I didn’t think about it until afterward, but I wish I would have had a doula during my surgery. I had no idea what was going on or what to expect as it all happened very fast; and I know that a doula would have been able to give my husband some peace of mind and direction to what was happening to me and our baby.
A doula’s main role is to provide support. Emotional, educational, and physical support. Every woman deserves this regardless of the type of delivery she is going to have. Being educated about this major abdominal surgery is so important. Some women walk in for elective or emergency c-sections with no resources and leave feeling cheated of their birth experience. It is important to know what happens to the body during, and after this procedure.
For a planned or even the possibility of an emergency c-section, a doula can provide a great deal of informational support. We can help you and your partner know what to expect and also inform you of the newborn options that you are allowed to decline if you wish, and so on. Having a doula help to create a cesarean birth plan (whether it be elective, or a back-up plan for an emergency) can be a powerful tool in the care options you receive. Many people do not know that they have options about their surgery, and a doula can inform you of these options. You have the right to several things during a c-section. One example would be if you would like to specify a double suture as opposed to a single suture for the incision. Also, if you would prefer your urinary catheter placed before or after your spinal epidural.
A memory that I remember vividly during my surgery is the doctor's’ conversation while they were closing my incision. I was awake during my procedure and my husband was by my side. There was a drape in front of my face, and I could hear the doctors talking about where my internal organs needed to be placed after they had been moved around in order to extract my baby. This freaked me out! In between this conversation they were also talking about an event coming up that they were all attending. Some people may not care about the conversations taking place during their procedure, but given my situation and it being considered an emergency, I did not appreciate their candor. You have have the right to ask that doctors and nurses keep their chit-chat to a minimum. If I had known this ahead of time, I would have said something. I can still hear what they were talking about to this day whenever I think about that moment.
The preference of having your baby brought to you immediately (as long as the baby is healthy) is also an option. Many may let staff place the baby on a warmer and do initial testing before presenting the baby to them without even knowing they have the right to see their baby first before anything is done. Immediate skin-to-skin after a c-section is not as common as with a vaginal birth, but is increasing.
Doulas provide emotional support before, during, and after cesarean sections. Although, individual hospitals may have policies in regards to who may be in the room during surgery; sometimes doulas are allowed in the room. If there is disappointment with having to have a cesarean section rather than a vaginal birth, your doula can be there to discuss feelings with you and your partner. She can help you practice relaxation techniques, and talk to you during the procedure to keep you calm (if allowed in the OR). She can also help keep partners calm, especially during prep time, so that they are effective support for mom during surgery. Doulas can still advocate for you during surgery- reminding surgeons to please describe, or not describe, the procedures as they are doing them, that mom would like to do skin-to-skin as soon after birth as possible, etc.
Afterward, the doula can be there while you and your partner process feelings about the birth. While in the recovery room, the postpartum room or at home, it is great for moms to have someone to talk to. Doulas are excellent resources for organizations, meetings, social groups, and more to take part in to help process postpartum feelings or ask questions.
Having someone else besides your partner with you can be a much greater help than is realized. Your doulas physical presence is sometimes all that is needed to help you and your partner feel more secure with the procedure. If dad wants to photograph and touch his baby while the baby is in the warmer, the mother is left alone on the surgery table. If the baby must go immediately to the NICU, and dad goes with the baby, mom is also left alone. This can be a scary time to be alone - the procedure continues for around 45 more minutes as the surgeons suture your incision, and y
ou continue to feel discomfort and concern for your baby. I had no idea where my baby was taken after she was born. Not until I was in my recovery room did I find out that she was in the NICU. Your doula can stay by your side throughout all of this, if the obstetrician allows.
If the situation occurs where your doula cannot come in to the OR for surgery, this does not mean that you no longer need or require her services. Recovery from a c-section is rough! Your doula can help with breastfeeding after birth. This is no small feat after having abdominal surgery! She can help you figure out how to hold the baby and get the baby to latch, in addition to all the regular breastfeeding support typically provided postpartum.
No woman should feel singled out if they opt for an elective or require an emergency cesarean section. All women and all births can be enhanced with the presence of a doula. Beth has attended a variety of births ranging from unmedicated uncomplicated births, to emergency cesarean births. To learn more about B. Birth Services doulas please contact us or visit our website!
