Would anybody ever use a doula when they are planning a medicated birth?

[Hillargh]

Originally Posted by *Peanut* Very good point! A c section can be frightening too. my sister went into panic (which she does with any anesthesia anyway). She was incomprehensible and then had to be put under because she was so panicky. A doula, IMO, would have really helped in her situation. If for nothing else, to advocate for my sister while she was unconscious and making no sense (from the drugs).

Holy sheep, peanut has an avatar picture!

I also think doulas are great for first-time parents/mamas, or for those that are easily intimidated. Mine has been a life-saver for myself and DF. He has a son already, but his ex-wife's birth was fully a medicated, planned induction, with vacuum use. He pretty much just stood there and then almost fainted. She nor he ever did any research into alternatives, or anything at all. So he was absolutely clueless about any options, and the idea of having to stand up for what you want. Come to find out, he's easily intimidated by medical personnel (just found this out this week), so our doula will be the backbone I need if the time comes. He's also very emotionally involved (of course), and having that unbiased, calm presence will be amazing for us I think. Sometimes you need someone to remind you of what you want, that you can ask the nurses/doctors to leave for a minute, take a breath, and discuss your options, kwim?

[USMCgirl_05]

I would be scared out of my ever living MIND if I had to have a c section! I got nervous enough before my knee surgery, and even getting my wisdom teeth out! thankfully I was sedated for that one but going under anesthesia is really nerve wracking.

[crunch!910]

I'm glad I've read this thread and now understand a doula can be useful in ANY birth situation, not just all natural.

If I was planning a repeat C, I personally wouldn't have one, and if I was planning a medicated, I wouldn't spend the money on one, but now I understand why other people would choose to use a doula.

[lauren420]

Originally Posted by jessicap A doula is supposed to support a woman through her labor journey, no matter what road she takes. But giving information to arm the mother with information to make informed decisions is okay, as long as it is not laced with our own personal perceptions and opinions. It is a hard road to walk, especially for those of us who are passionate about non medicated births. There are many doulas who will not take on hospital births or medicated births because they cannot get past their bias, and that is to be respected as well because they recognize their inability to get past that. But a woman needs to be supported no matter what through labor and delivery. And there needs to be a doula available for any kind of birth, be it non medicated in the woods, homebirth, non medicated in the hospital, medicated in the hospital or a csection. Birth is not a road that should be traveled alone, it is a sacred and solomn time, and the thing I remind women who are doulas who have a hard time getting past their own opinions is that many of them came into the doula business because they had an experiance that they felt like they didn't have choices or that their experiance was less than stellar and not what they wanted. So I remind them that just because they wanted a non medicated birth doesn't mean that every woman wants that. I know a woman who accidentally had a non medicated birth, she went in with intentions of having the epi the second she was able to, but her birth went WAY faster than any of us every expected, she was a first time momma and that baby came out from first contraction to actual full delivery in less than 2 hours, so by the time she got to the hospital, she was fully dialated. She went on to have an awesome non medicated birth, no complications and really the pain factor was not even a huge thing to her. But it was that she had a plan, she had a different birth in mind and that was not the birth she wanted. She was devastated because she was told constantly that she needed to wait until contractions were every 3-5 minutes apart, they never really got any closer than 7 minutes apart until just before she got to the hospital. She was told by many that because she was a first time momma, she would probably be in labor awhile. So she assumed she had plenty of time, and she felt like she was out of control and that she didn't get the experiance she envisioned. I was like huh?! when I heard that, I mean I thought it sounded awesome and was totally stoked for her, but she had to grieve that experiance like many of us who have ended up with birth experianaces that either left us in the aftermath of trauma, misinformed or bullied into something or that like her, our experiance was not what we envisioned. A doula would have been awesome for her to walk her through those emotions, to help her grieve the loss of her hopes and expectations. A doula could have really supported her in that sense. Now I know that this is not a huge majority, but there are some mommas out there who feel like they were bullied by a nurse who felt that the natural way was the only way to do it, and while I agree for my personal self and birth, it is still just as disrespectful to deny a woman of her wishes as long as it has been handled in a way that informs the woman of what she is asking for and what the after effects could be, what the side effects are in the moment, etc...and so a doula can be there to advocate for the mother in that situation as well, she can help be that voice that the mother needs when she is getting bullied. A good doula can tell the difference between bullying and informing so the mother can make an informed decision that is best for her and the baby. A good doula will lay her personal opinions aside and will support the mother, because that is what we are doulas for, to support mommas and babes.

This was exactly how my last birth was, and I am still getting over it, I didn't want a natural birth AT ALL, it sucked, every horribly painful hour of it SUCKED, I wanted drugs and I got nothing, not even demoral, and I was begging and crying for it