what do YOU need from your doula?

Hi guys,

Just wondering on personal preference, what you want to see in antenatal care what type of info and how many sessions you would like.. from your doula

I am a trainee doula and i am just interested to know what each indervidual desires soo i can see a broad veiw!


so if you had a doula what would your expectations all be? what do you feel you need during the preganancy do you think its more informative or maybe emotional support?

what would you expect from your doula antenatally? even through the birth and afterwards too if you'd like to share but concentrating on antenatally!!

I am nearlly finished my doula course now and there is nothing about what mothers would like to know its just what info you give them that they may find useful etc so I thought it would be an interesting thing to find out from mothers themselves, what mothers want and need~ from their doula!!

Hi!

Antenatal care what type of info and how many sessions you would like.. from your doula? I would probably want to know the same infomation I would recieve from a GP, OB or Mid, with the big difference being it is given by someone who really cares about me, my baby, and my pregnancy personally.

In regards to how many sessions, I would like it to be similar too, perhaps starting around or before 12 weeks, then every 4 weeks until the 3rd trimester? Then every 2-3 weeks to learn birth skills etc. Then every week or as needed in the last month? Basically something that is well structured. (This would be about 12 visits I suppose?) And to be able to contact you with concerns in between visits if necessary.

what do you feel you need during the preganancy do you think its more informative or maybe emotional support? A mix of both as you have lots of questions in prenancy especially if it is your first, or if you were particuarly anxious about your pregnancy.

what would you expect from your doula antenatally? even through the birth and afterwards too if you'd like to share but concentrating on antenatally!! All the above but antenatally I would like to learn about:

Active birthing and active birth positions.
Basic anatomy and physiology of a womens body, during pregnancy and labour.
daily stretches and how to alliviate aches, pains and symptoms.
Birth skills and pain management.

Hope this helps?? None of these things above have ever been discussed with me at any of my antenatal visits so I would want it to be different with a doula. I find having this knowledge to be impowering and its been fun to learn so it would be great to have a doula to share this with. (It's hard to get DP to get excited about most of these things!)

Also..for during the birth, I would like my my doula to inform me of my progress and things that are happening during labour, with the idea being that DP and I were not interupted by staff but that you listen and speak for us in accordance to our birthplan. This is the only thing that has made me consider a doula as my pregnancy is highrisk and will involve lots of intervention.

All the best for the rest of your course!