Now that you're pregnant, you're probably wondering whether you should work with a obstetrician or a midwife — or both. However, there's one more member of your healthcare team that you might have forgotten about. If you haven't hired a doula to work with during labor and delivery, now's the time to do that. You may be thinking that you can wait until you're closer to your due date, but that's not the case. You should actually choose your doula earlier in your pregnancy. That way, you have time to form a close bond with them. If you're not sure what a doula does or why you need one for your labor and delivery, here's some information that will help you out. Take a look at three ways that a doula will help during labor and delivery.
Helps Create a Calming Environment
Labor and delivery can be stressful times, especially for first-time parents. You're not sure what's going to happen or what you should do. The entire experience can be quite overwhelming. One of the benefits of having a doula is that they will help create a calming environment for you and for your partner. Your partner is going to be worried about you, which means that they might not be able to give you the support you need. Your doula will work closely with both of you to calm your fears and ensure a relaxed environment to delivery your baby.
Gives Your Partner a Helping Hand
Your partner is going to be busy helping you during labor and delivery. Because of that, they might not have time to run errands for you or to grab food. That's where you doula comes in handy. Your doula will be there to refill the ice chips, or to run to the cafeteria for food. Not only that, but if your partner needs a bathroom break, your doula will be there to step in with labor support while that happens. That means you won't be left alone during any part of your labor and delivery.
Provides Additional Avenue for Support
During those final weeks of pregnancy, when your body begins preparation for labor and delivery, you may have a lot of questions. However, you might not want to disturb your doctor with all the questions, especially if you have issues after-hours. Unfortunately, if you don't reach out, you might not get the answers you need, which is where to doula comes into the picture. Your doula program service provides an additional avenue for information and support. You'll be able to contact them with those after-hours questions and concerns, such as whether the contractions you're experiencing are the real thing.
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