Hiring a doula for a UC? - Page 2

[Astraia]

We're having a friend come and doula for us (she isn't a doula, but reads enough about birth-stuff and is VERY UC friendly).

I personally don't feel I need the support. I definitely felt observed with my last birth, and I know it had a detrimental effect on how everything progressed and my ability to follow my urges and instincts (there were also a LOT of people there!).

DH feels he needs an extra person for UC to be in his comfort zone. He can't get his head around the fact that he doesn't really NEED to be doing anything for me, most of the time. He was awesome with our first child but it was nice, not necessary.

The benefit for me is that with one other body there, he can attend to the other stuff- like the dog and our daughter, if she's around- without feeling like he's abandoning me.

[onyxravnos]

well i haven't done it yet but i have hired a great doula for my planed UBAC coming up. I like having the idea of someone to keep me with it whos been there and done that and i jive so well with my doula it will be like having my sister there with me.'

if you can find a doula you like and she is willing then i say go for it. Even if you don't use her for labor she can hang with the kids or go get stuff you need...whatever! ands i'm a big supporter of having lots of good female vibes around for birthing.

[jeninejessica]

It drives me NUTS to see people get all huffed up about a doula being liable because she's 'the only professional there'. As long as the doula is only doing things within her scope of practice, then there's no liability. If she see things getting 'out of hand' (ie mom asks her to deliver baby?) then she should be calling 911 or leaving. No one forces her to perform professional birth 'tasks'.

If you want a doula to do 'doula things'... then go for it! Even if it's not a trained doula, that doesn't mean they're not a doula. A doula simply put is someone who 'mothers the mother'- she's there to support you while you give birth, whether she's your mother, your best friend, a fellow UC'er or someone you met on the street.

It makes me sad to see women being turned down from doula care when they want it, because people are worried about liability. I wish we all trusted each other a little more!

[thefreckledmama]

OP here .

I haven't managed to speak to a local doula yet, but in the process of discussing doing so with a friend, she asked if she could act as my doula for my labor and birth. It's wonderful because she is someone whom I would have invited to the birth anyway, and knowing that she's wanting to be there to support me just makes it that much better.

I really appreciate all the different perspectives given-it's always nice to be able to see both sides when making a decision. I think like anything else involved with childbirth, everyone has their own comfort level of what they would and would not want for their UC, as well as birth professionals having their own comfort level with the types of births they are willing to take on. I don't think there is a definitive right or wrong answer, especially when dealing with something as personal as one's childbirth choices.

[mamallama]

To the OP: I'm glad you have the support of your friend.

But this:

It drives me NUTS to see people get all huffed up about a doula being liable because she's 'the only professional there'. As long as the doula is only doing things within her scope of practice, then there's no liability. If she see things getting 'out of hand' (ie mom asks her to deliver baby?) then she should be calling 911 or leaving. No one forces her to perform professional birth 'tasks'.

If you want a doula to do 'doula things'... then go for it! Even if it's not a trained doula, that doesn't mean they're not a doula. A doula simply put is someone who 'mothers the mother'- she's there to support you while you give birth, whether she's your mother, your best friend, a fellow UC'er or someone you met on the street.

It makes me sad to see women being turned down from doula care when they want it, because people are worried about liability. I wish we all trusted each other a little more!

From a uc'ing mother who is also a doula--I agree with the sentiment of outrage. Yes. It is outrageous that a doula doing only "doula things" should not hold any liability...however...

The problem is that families are not typically the ones who press charges.

A midwife I know was recently convicted of practicing nursing without a license. Her fault? She attended a VBAC mom, transported due to suspected rupture. Mom had indeed ruptured, c/s, mom and baby were fine (midwife was on the ball and got them there in plenty of time,) but the attending ob had a bone to pick with homebirth & filed charges.

The midwife did nothing wrong--she was totally within her scope of practice, and she performed her duties flawlessly. The legal costs, the trial, the potential for jail time just devastated her life. She lost her house. Her family (5 little children) suffered enormously.

I really hate seeing doulas (or any birth professional) dragged through the muck like this. It's not an issue of trust. It's an issue of risk.

[jeninejessica]

I guess I just fail to see how a doula acting within her scope could be doing anything she could be charged for. Giving praise, or rubbing a back, or holding someone's weight up... there's no grounds for liability here as long as all you are doing is support. They wouldn't charge the woman's friend with practicing medicine just for standing watch...


And I'm glad you found someone. Even as a doula myself, that is my desire for my UC birth-- I want a 'doula' that I know, probably in the form of my mother or my best friend, since I'll be able to get the support and guidance, without having an extra person there. You get the best of both worlds!

[weliveintheforest]

You're right, a doula shouldn't be charged... but she could be, and then even if she is found not guilty, she has gone through he** and spent a fortune on legal fees. I don't live in fear, and would attend a UC myself, but I am aware that I am at risk.

[TzippityDoulah]

I did this for a friend - I'm a doula and a friend so it was great. it was such an awesome experience that it inspired me to have a UC with my last baby!! I am SO glad I did it!

the "rules" were a bit different I guess. we talked beforehand to make clear what my personal comfort was (as in I was NOT to be viewed as an emergency midwife - b/c I am NOT a midwife) and what her desires were (for me only to help when and if she asked me to and not try to control things). I respected her wishes and she assured me to not ask anything unfair of me and everything was great.

you could always put this sort of thing in writing so both parties are clear. there is nothing illegal about UCing, and nothing ilegal about doualing... and nothing illegal about doulaing at a UC. the only iffy part is letting a client think you are there as an emergency stand in for a midwife, instead of for support, encouragement or whatever you all decide.

[BirthFree]

I'm a doula who supports UC's (have yet to be hired for one) and I had a doula twice (once who got here when baby's head was already out, and the other time, after baby was born - I had lightening fast labors, we called asap but they just didn't/barely made it).

Lots of doulas are not supportive (they are afraid, worried of litigation of something happened, of the responsibility to do more if something was going on (more than just doula)) of supporting UCs - but there are those out there who do. I would, for the prepared, right couple.

Good luck!!

[zoebird]

it is a good idea to find a birth support person if you think or know that you will want one.

but it isn't necessary to hire someone to do it and go that birth professional route. you could find a supportive friend or family member, another UCer or HBer to be there for you.

i do agree that for some BPs, there are major liability issues that they do not want to face because it could easily put their practice under. and it's not from *you* or, i should say, necessarily the UCer, but that they could be held somehow criminally or related liable. here in PA, a well known and beloved midwife to the Plain communities in particular was "charged" with "practicing medicine without a license" because she attended so many births or some nonesense. none of the families had a problem with her, the state/medical board just chose her to set a precident and shut down midwifery here.

so, it's not that much of a leap for a doula to be considered "practicing midwifery or medicine without a license" and to get into a lot of legal trouble--which could include jail time, hefty fines, and lets not even talk about what the *legal fees* for her to defend herself would be.

it's not really fair to say that all doulas or midwives should put their practices on the line for us. i wish that more would be more bold and more supportive, but i can understand that this is hteir calling and livelihood, and they can't uphold or maintain themselves with that kind of legal situation.

for my own part, i am looking at getting doula training to do PP doula work and doula work for UCs and HBs. I will provide child care and help out with labor and help around the house after and so on, but i won't be going into hospitals or what have you (i would in event of transfer of course).

and, i don't plan on using it at as 'career' per se. i want to help women (particularly UCers) with their births, but i would not take on many clients. in my own mind, i see it being one or two births a year, tops.

[BirthFree]

I do think that if you draw up a contract of some sort you release the said doula from responsibility of doing anything beyond her scope of practice.

I DO think it *can* be a leap to see a doula as practicing any sort of medical way depending, because some doulas I know know nada about the MW side of birth... just simply about physical and emotional support. I am going to be a homebirth MW one day (hopefully) so I know quite a bit more - but I would still ask for a contract.

The truth of it settles that some doulas would be open to it, others not. Both of our doulas had to think about it for a few days, but they were both thrilled to support us. It was one of the best experiences we ever had - I highly suggest a doula if you want one. For us, it gave us the peace of mind that if any of the labors were like our 48+hour first one, DH wouldn't have to be on point the entire time.

[gossamerwindweb]

Originally Posted by jeninejessica

If you want a doula to do 'doula things'... then go for it! Even if it's not a trained doula, that doesn't mean they're not a doula. A doula simply put is someone who 'mothers the mother'- she's there to support you while you give birth, whether she's your mother, your best friend, a fellow UC'er or someone you met on the street.

We asked my friend to be there for Henry's birth. We originally just wanted her to videotape and photograph so as to leave my husband and my daughter free to just BE in the moment... she has been a doula for many of her friends, but I made it clear that she was only to be there as photographer unless I asked for something else in the moment. She ended up being FAR more support than I ever thought we would need... as my labor dragged on for days, she supported my husband and I. It was definitely nice to have her here. I used to dream of a solo birth... but now I know that I love having family and friend energy around me during birth.

[TzippityDoulah]

Originally Posted by BirthFree

I do think that if you draw up a contract of some sort you release the said doula from responsibility of doing anything beyond her scope of practice.

I DO think it *can* be a leap to see a doula as practicing any sort of medical way depending, because some doulas I know know nada about the MW side of birth... just simply about physical and emotional support. I am going to be a homebirth MW one day (hopefully) so I know quite a bit more - but I would still ask for a contract.

The truth of it settles that some doulas would be open to it, others not. Both of our doulas had to think about it for a few days, but they were both thrilled to support us. It was one of the best experiences we ever had - I highly suggest a doula if you want one. For us, it gave us the peace of mind that if any of the labors were like our 48+hour first one, DH wouldn't have to be on point the entire time.

yep. exactly!

[Lyssa in LA]

I'm a doula and I support UC, though I haven't had the privilege yet.  I think if it was my own birth, I would want to have the freedom to be totally alone, have a female companion, have my husband there, or whatever else was working for me in the moment. 

That being said, I do have limits - I would only feel comfortable working with clients who had good prenatal care and an uncomplicated pregnancy, and were well educated in normal birth and how to recognize when things were going weird.   Most people I have met who consider UC are way more educated on birth than average, so I don't think that would be a problem!

(eta: sorry to post in such an ancient thread!  I hadn't realized it was so old :)

[MeesterMama]

I had a doula (she was also a friend so it was like a female friend for support) for my UC and she and I both knew she wasn't acting as a "midwife".  She did labor support.  Lots of hip squeezes and counter pressure while my DH did things like keep the kids busy and put hot water in the pool from the stove. I liked it. It was an extra pair of hands to help.  When the time came to pushing she just sat back and took pictures and we did the rest.  It was great for us!