“Growing a baby is hard work.” You’ve heard the saying before.
And it totally is! Veteran moms do try to explain the joy and exhaustion of it all but until you have your turn? It just doesn’t quite feel real.
When pregnancy symptoms start, the adventure begins. There’s now a timer set, counting down to your due date with the exact arrival moment a mystery. And each day brings new goals, new developments and new information.
You’re balancing a potentially new diet (hello savory, yet cold, yet crunchy foods... and nothing else), a growing tummy and new aches.
But at the end of this ride comes a baby with an entirely new set of demands and life changes. And it’s the sweetest gift you’ll ever have the honor of experiencing.
Until then though, there are a ton of unknown scenarios that you’re reading up on and wanting to get ready for. But is all that enough?
Being prepared throughout your pregnancy, birth and beyond will help you maintain a steady feeling of readiness. This may come in the form of reading prenatal education books by respected authors and specialists in the field. Or maybe you’re taking a few labor support classes to get you ready for the big day.
No matter how you choose to stay educated and healthy, the best way to step into motherhood is to be prepared, relaxed and supported.
So what’s a helpful step to take that will get you there, without feeling completely overwhelmed?
Work with a doula!
Having a doula present at your birth comes with a wide range of benefits. Doulas are proven to help shorten labor, eliminate unnecessary interventions and decrease chances for C-sections. Having a doula increases mom and baby bonding, breastfeeding success and mom’s birth experience overall¹.
If you’re not familiar with the role of a doula, the idea of having a “stranger” at your birth can feel super weird. You might think the only person you should have is your partner and maybe another very close family member.
A doula is a specially trained companion that advocates for the mother and supports her during pregnancy, labor and postpartum.
Research has shown that having a doula who can bring knowledge and reassurance to your birth experience is a total game changer.
We’re talking better overall emotional, physical and mental outcomes for mom. And it doesn’t stop there. Mom’s partner and the newest addition to the family benefit from involving a doula in the birth.
These days we are so used to being able to Google questions on the fly. If we don’t know something, we look for quick info to make decisions.
When giving birth, you’re probably going to forget things you’ve read or get frightened by what doctors are telling you. Yes, even if you have a birth plan.
The laboring process is a little bit of a time warp and you’re likely to be awake for a full day or longer. Mama, you’re going to be exhausted during and after you have this baby.
A doula can calmly explain any changes and help you feel empowered to make informed decisions². By hour nine of contractions the doctor and nurses will start to sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher — a whole other language. And you might have a really hard time figuring out what to do next if any concerns or updates pop up.
Having your doula there to help you understand what’s happening immediately takes out fear of the unknown. There’s usually a few options presented and your doula will lay out what each one means, clearly.
A doula is also an expert in natural pain management. They can apply pressure and use other techniques to increase comfort. They are actively giving positive feedback and comforting words.
Partners often think having a doula around means getting pushed aside or having less of a say. And yea, it might look that way at first.
But it turns out that having a doula present allows partners to give moms in labor their undivided attention without scrambling to try and manage new information. Birth is overwhelming, especially if it's the first time. Doulas have been to hundreds or even thousands and are able to keep the energy cool.
So worry not, you’re in good hands.
The birth of your child is a life changing and significant event. But in the grand scheme of your journey as a mother, it’s a shorter piece. Not to say it won’t be intense, of course.
You could say that your mothering begins the day you take that first prenatal vitamin. Or when you begin to arrange the nursery and childproof your house. And caring for your baby at any stage also means caring for yourself. Especially once your little one has arrived.
You don’t have to forge your way through this adjustment without guidance. Having a doula to help you process the loads of information you need to take in while pregnant will positively impact your birth and parenting.
Postpartum support is by far the most valuable investment you can make after having a baby. This is when you are the most vulnerable.
Hormones are changing and you’ll be operating on little sleep that’s interrupted every few hours. Both you and your baby are learning to breastfeed while your body recovers from birth. Your world is exciting and new but also tiring and maybe even a little scary.
It’s a lot.
Your doula is there to guide this transition so it doesn’t feel like you are hitting a wall. One out of five women experience postpartum depression and/or anxiety³. However, women with doulas are less likely to experience this and more likely to feel content.
Thinking of starting a family or already growing your bun in the oven? You deserve to have the best possible birth experience with a team member who is on your side from the start.
Begin your motherhood journey by choosing a doula who supports you and celebrates with you!
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