Doulas at Scheduled Cesarean Births?
I wore scrubs and stayed in the areas allowed by the OB.
I loved this post published on the ICAN blog recently about Doulas and CBACs (Cesarean birth after Cesarean).
Why would someone want to hire a doula for a planned cesarean birth? Are doulas even allowed into the OR? What role would a doula play for these births?
I’ve been a doula present at Cesarean births and it was a fabulous experience for the mom and husband. Her first birth had been induced, rushed into surgery, little communication, little respect and ultimately very disempowering. For her second birth she had switched physicians, brought me in as a doula, and educated herself about her available options.
While she did end up with a second surgery (and since then, a third) the experiences were vastly different. In her second birth she called a lot of the shots, each step of the way. She asked for me to be present during the surgery so I could take pictures of her son’s birth – something she never had with her first birth. In fact, I was able to capture a picture of his birth before the cord was even cut! A special memory for her.
I also was able to keep her company while her husband went with the baby post-operatively, so she wouldn’t be left alone. When she was nearly done she asked me to go and tell her parents who were waiting out in the waiting room. Having the ability to again, control the shots and inform others of the sex/weight/birth time of her son on HER terms was something she’d been completely robbed of during her first birth experience.
That is what a doula is all about. Supporting a mother during her pregnancy, labor and birth experiences no matter what that birth experience is! This mother knew what she was willing to do and not willing to do and took proactive steps to create as positive a birth experience for herself as possible. And I was blessed to be privvy to that experience.
Would you consider hiring a doula for a C-section birth?
Learning more about your pregnancy: Should I hire a doula?
I wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t think women realize that they still have options in the case of a C. Doulas should come standard!!
I definitely would! I think that doulas are fantastic, and I can definitely see how much of a help a doula would be in the case of a c-section.
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I would if I had the extra money. It would have been wonderful w/ my first where I was not prepared at all for a C. I hated being left in recovery by myself while my husband was w/ our daughter.It would have been nice to have someone sitting with me while my shakes wore off and I waited for my sweet baby girl to come back to me. She had swallowed some meconium and had to be checked out in the NICU for a little while. Seemed like forever…I can see the benefit of having someone with you for sure.
Absolutely! If I ever needed a C-Section I’d still want someone there. The gal I had with me for both of my births isn’t a trained doula, but she may as well be. She was an immense help both times, was respected by my Dr and was allowed to be there every step of the way. It was a huge blessing for both me and my husband for me to have that support. I feel like I’d need that even more going into, and coming out of, a c-section!
I was a doula at a planned cesarean birth, and the mother really appreciated my presence. I was actually allowed in the OR (which is fairly uncommon) and was able to stay with the mother throughout the closure process (the closure process is usually the most stressful and uncomfortable part – during my own cesarean I threw up and passed out during closure, so I knew just how hard that could be for her.)
My second C-section had a doula. I would do it all again. the ratio was fantastic. someone was always with me and someone was always with the baby.
YES! YES! YES! my baby #1 (2002) was a 39 hour labor-epidural-natural birth. At the time I had NEVER heard the word doula. Baby #2 (2003) was a quick and drug free labor. I received NO LABOR SUPPORT at all! At the hospital I was answering questions and signing my name on the X minutes before my son slipped out. AND then I learned about doulas and KNEW without a doubt I wanted one when i had another baby. When the pregnancy test was positive(2005) I called my OB and a doula the same day! I was happy, excited and looking forward to a natural delivery with support from a women I loved and trusted. And at 38 weeks my baby flipped breech. And the external version failed. And after 2 natural deliveries I was now a scheduled c-section
I needed more support and more encouragement and more kind words that day then I would have with a natural delivery. I needed someone familiar and calm to be with me and my husband as we walked through those hospital doors scared and nervous- i cried, i was not in labor and it felt soo wrong. I needed someone to hold my hand through every moment of surgery. Especially when I was in the OR “alone” before surgery-surrounded by masked strangers stripping me, shaving me and putting IV’s and catheters in. My doctor and husband were not in the OR yet. And I needed someone with me in the moments after the baby was delivered-after the baby went to the nursery-after my husband went too. I starred at the ceiling waiting for this to be over. Waiting to get off the thin cold metal table soaked with my blood. Waiting for the surgeons to finish putting me back together. Hearing the OB point out where my ovaries, fallopian tubes and bladder to the med student was NOT part of my birth plan. Having a doula at my side was.
I didn’t even realize that was a possibility. My husband was with me the whole time and after my daughter was born, I got to “hold” her (read as “nuzzle”) while they stitched me up. I was only apart from her (and him) for literally five minutes. Everything they could do was done in the OR … so though it felt weird to leave the OR alone, it really wasn’t awful and we were reunited immediately and after her bath and swaddling, she was in my arms to nurse. A doula might have been helpful for the scare-factor, since my husband was also kind of freaked — seeing what he saw.