Doula and Homebirth

[Aliy]

Okay so I have a doula set up for my homebirth. This will be her first homebirth, she has done a number of hospital births already, she is quite excited about it.

My question is is a doula really do much different at home than a hospital.

I'll have my husband possibly my grandma ( if the baby is so kind as to wait) two midwives and a doula. i really don't want to be designating out work  and i don't want to be left with everything.

wwyd?

[RoseRedHoofbeats]

As someone who is a student doula, has had a hospital birth, and planning a home birth, this is what I would do...

Ask her to bring a copy of The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin. She should have a copy, it's required reading for pretty much everybody. Go over it with her and talk about what comfort measures you would like in labor, how you would like her to suggest things or if you want her to wait for you to ask for them. Make a list of what chores you'd like done- if you want someone to scrub the shower, start dishes or cooking, launder the baby's clothes, make sure your birth kit is in order. Invite her to meet your midwife and go over who should be doing what.

Good luck!

~Rose

[ewilkins_doula]

As someone who has been a doula to both hospital births and homebirths, I can tell you that, in my experience, being a doula in a hospital setting is not very different than a home birth in the sense of using comfort techniques and various relaxation methods to help with labor. Homebirth is different though in the sense that you don't (usually) have to be as on guard as you would in a hospital setting. The midwifery model of care and a womans desires during a homebirth usually go hand in hand. Also the whole environment is much more comfortable and it give a woman a lot more room to go through all of her emotions and be in that vulnerable, sacred space between pregnancy and motherhood. If anything, you should be prepared for your doula's skills to be better and sharper because of that.

At one point in your post, you said  "i really don't want to be designating out work  and i don't want to be left with everything." From what I have seen, this is usually what happens with a mama who hasn't communicated enough/ well enough to her caregivers, or to a woman who doesn't have any other support besides her husband (I see that sometimes on A Baby Story and shows like that). Keep your doula in the loop of what you want her role to be during your birth. Do the same with all the members of your birth team, but give it room to grow and change as the process of labor begins to occur.

As a doula, you have to really learn to be adaptable, to be a chameleon on the wall in some instances and the mama's sole focus in others. Even as a new doula who has done hospital births, I think you are in good hands. She should already naturally have a lot of the qualities she needs to help you through.

Hope what I said helped! And I hope you have a wonderful homebirth!