Doulas & Partners
As a doula I often discuss with partners their concerns over the doula ‘taking their place’ in labor, listening to concerns and worry that they will not be the one providing support. Have you wondered about this dynamic as well? As a trained birth professional my focus is to work with each of my families prior to labor not only to identify their goals, but to talk about each person’s role, how we will all be working together as a team. While mom is the one that has to get the baby out, the doula is there just as much to support the partner during the labor and birthing process. As labor unfolds I encourage the partner to be more confident in providing support, helping them know just the right place to apply pressure, and the right things to say.
Doulas help partners by:
Here is what Partners have to say:
"Angela was my first experience with a doula for the birth of my first child. Deciding to hire a doula was absolutely the right decision for us. Angela took the pressure off of me to be an expert in a world I knew little about. We prepared, researches, listened to podcast but still, there were many unknowns going into the birthing process. Angela worked closely with is before to make a plan we were all comfortable with.
I am forever grateful for her during the labor of our child. She made it possible for me to grab food, take a quick nap, or update our family. Her interactions with hospital staff and our family was friendly and professional. She has even made herself available to help with breastfeeding after the birth.
I’d highly recommend getting a doula and going with Angela. Our wonderful hospital delivery experience would have been totally different without her. It’s the best money I’ve spent!"
"Angela was an immense help for both Lauren and I, as first time parents. We had no idea what the delivery process was going to look like. Having someone who had helped during many deliveries and had been in almost every single delivery scenario was important to us. Angela was a great addition to our team as a couple and gave us peace of mind. Her support was not just emotional, but also physically on a number of things, from communicating with the nurses in suggesting helpful tips or trading off with me on counter pressure. Although, it was Lauren's idea to have Angela as our doula, I am so grateful that Angela was available to work with us. I personally really appreciate Angela's help in staying up the entire night with me and supporting our son's arrival. We are only hoping that we can be fortunate enough to have a doula at all future deliveries!"
"When my wife told me she wanted to have a natural birth for our second son, I was immediately onboard. The experiences she had with the delivery of our first son and the interventions used were eye opening. Still, making the decision to have a birth that we wanted (not what was more convenient for the hospital staff) carries its own challenges so my wife suggested a Doula. It was clear this was the choice for us. Published research shows that labors with the continuous presence of a Doula end up in reduced use of Pitocin, decreased rate of interventions, and higher satisfaction with birth outcomes.
Angela's support during the birth was phenomenal. First and foremost, Angela's continuous presence allowed me to be present for my wife during the birth of my son. I was able to ensure my wife knew I was right at her side while Angela handled everything from comfort support to helping to manage the hospital staff. Without her, I would have been running from one end of the room to the other. Instead, I was there with my wife in the moment."