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A friend's OB has a sign prohibiting doulas  

post #1 of 53
10/7/08 at 4:19pm
Thread Starter 
I was visiting a friend yesterday who had a baby two days before I did. She asked me about my homebirth.

Friend: Did you have a . . . what's the word? I'm going to sound really naive. A . . . doula?
Me: Yes, I did. She was great. I'm really glad I hired her.
Friend: My OB's office has a sign that says, "We do not accept clients with doulas." What does a doula do?
Me: She's a professional labor companion who does non-medical stuff. She'll rub your back, get you a snack, talk to you, or anything that would make you more comfortable. Blah blah blah, me waxing poetic about how fantastic my doula was, while thinking .

I knew there were OBs who didn't like doulas or certain childbirth education, but I was surprised to meet someone who would make use of the services of a doctor like that!
post #2 of 53
10/7/08 at 5:18pm
that's horrible!!
post #3 of 53
10/7/08 at 5:56pm
Wow! I have never heard such a thing before.
post #4 of 53
10/7/08 at 6:09pm
You know what? I think that is great.

I really do. I get sick of doctors trying to "say the right thing." Because if they don't mean it, it's going to come back and bite you on the ass. Doctors who "say" they support bfeeding, but give formula samples and blame every little problem on nursing. Doctors who "say" they support natural birth but set every one of their clients up for an epidural and try to scare the heck out of them.

There are plenty of people out there who don't want a doula and I give that doctor a for being honest about his approach. You can know, for sure, what type of care you are looking at by going with that doctor. And that, I have to appreciate.
post #5 of 53
10/7/08 at 6:12pm
I have a friend who wants a natural birth but who was told by her OB, "You can have a doula, but I don't want to be told how to do my job."

Run. Run as far as you can away.
post #6 of 53
10/7/08 at 6:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TiredX2 View Post
I get sick of doctors trying to "say the right thing." Because if they don't mean it, it's going to come back and bite you on the ass. Doctors who "say" they support bfeeding, but give formula samples and blame every little problem on nursing. Doctors who "say" they support natural birth but set every one of their clients up for an epidural and try to scare the heck out of them.
post #7 of 53
10/7/08 at 6:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by elisheva View Post
I have a friend who wants a natural birth but who was told by her OB, "You can have a doula, but I don't want to be told how to do my job."

Run. Run as far as you can away.
As a doula, I can assure you that I would never try to tell a doctor how to do his job. I am there strictly to support mom and partner and to make sure they have the information they need to make informed decisions. Then they tell the doctor how to do his job.

And I agree with Tired2x, I would much rather know ahead of time that a doctor didn't want me there. But I do feel sorry for the women that choose his/her care.
post #8 of 53
10/7/08 at 7:37pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by TiredX2 View Post
You know what? I think that is great.

I really do. I get sick of doctors trying to "say the right thing." Because if they don't mean it, it's going to come back and bite you on the ass. Doctors who "say" they support bfeeding, but give formula samples and blame every little problem on nursing. Doctors who "say" they support natural birth but set every one of their clients up for an epidural and try to scare the heck out of them.

There are plenty of people out there who don't want a doula and I give that doctor a for being honest about his approach. You can know, for sure, what type of care you are looking at by going with that doctor. And that, I have to appreciate.
I agree to a point--good to know what you're getting into. But like my friend, so many people have no idea what a doula is or does, and then they see this sign and think it must be something bad or something they wouldn't ever want. I guess it's partly their own problem for not finding out more.

But how, in good conscience, can a doctor forbid his patients to have doulas when they've been proven to improve outcomes for women and babies? It's just mind-boggling.
post #9 of 53
10/8/08 at 12:03am
I interviewed with a (hosp birth) midwife that seemed disapproving of doulas. She mentioned that they are not medically trained and have no liability in the birth. Her attitude put me off and I chose a different hosp birth midwife practice.

In the end, I ought to have gone with the doula-resistant lady since I delivered on the weekend with a midwife I'd never met before and my HMO would have allowed me to deliver at the nicer hospital with more lactation support. You know what they say about hindsight....
post #10 of 53
10/8/08 at 12:21am
With DD1 my OB was definitely leery of the doula. She didn't know what the doula would do, and worried they would clash and the doula try to convince me to say no to something the OB wanted to do. There was no conflict though--at least not with the OB. She was really impressed. The L&D nurses on the other hand...well, I was cussing at them anyway. LOL

I have heard doulas referred to as "ambulance chasers" and "something you don't really need." My insurance company insisted it "wasn't medically necessary" (yet an epidural was, in their opinion, "medically necessary" and therefore covered.) I paid for the doula myself and would absolutely do so again. Unfortunately, now I'm pg again and she's retired. Hubby really hit it off with her though, and she's said she'll give him a quick refresher before this new one arrives.

I agree the OB gets some credit for being upfront, but still...is this OB going to prohibit clients with MILs next?
post #11 of 53
10/8/08 at 9:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by txgal View Post
As a doula, I can assure you that I would never try to tell a doctor how to do his job. I am there strictly to support mom and partner and to make sure they have the information they need to make informed decisions. Then they tell the doctor how to do his job.

And I agree with Tired2x, I would much rather know ahead of time that a doctor didn't want me there. But I do feel sorry for the women that choose his/her care.
yeh, but you may give the client information that conflicts with the OB's and well...thats not good for his business, yk??? He is all powerful, yk?? (yes, im totally tongue in cheek here).

I too would rather the OB be honest. ALOT of them should have such signs probably.

Quote:
Originally Posted by VeganCupcake View Post
I agree to a point--good to know what you're getting into. But like my friend, so many people have no idea what a doula is or does, and then they see this sign and think it must be something bad or something they wouldn't ever want. I guess it's partly their own problem for not finding out more.

But how, in good conscience, can a doctor forbid his patients to have doulas when they've been proven to improve outcomes for women and babies? It's just mind-boggling.
my thought on the client is that this is one of the MAJOR impediments to the maternity crisis care in the US. How much time do ppl think about how to decorate the nursery or what kind of stroller they want? but child birth??? leave that to the "professionals". just one of my pet peeves I guess.

in good conscience? most OB's i have met are concerned about their risk management offices and malpractice. I have met MANY who are not so concerned about the mom and baby outcome (from a psychological POV)....only that they aren't going to get sued.
post #12 of 53
10/8/08 at 9:48am
Not in you DDC, but the dr I go to actually suggested a doula. Now, that may be b/c he seems to sublease part of his office to a woman who is a doula and does childbirth education, but he really is supportive even when I mentioned that I already had one lined up (who wasn't the woman he subleases part of the office to).
post #13 of 53
10/8/08 at 10:07am
My friend is a doula and she just found out that one of the OBs in her town tells people that they can either have her as their OB or my friend as their doula, but not both. This doctor is not natural-birth friendly and my friend is a birth activist, so the doctor seems to regard her as a threat to her authority.
post #14 of 53
10/8/08 at 11:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BookishVonLiberal View Post
My friend is a doula and she just found out that one of the OBs in her town tells people that they can either have her as their OB or my friend as their doula, but not both. This doctor is not natural-birth friendly and my friend is a birth activist, so the doctor seems to regard her as a threat to her authority.
I find Dr's like that both hilarious and pathetic at the same time. But this is something I have to learn more about because I am going to be a Doula soon in a small town where NCB is not the norm.
post #15 of 53
10/8/08 at 5:18pm
Wow, that's weird.

But at least his clients know what they are getting up front... and can steer clear of his weirdness.
post #16 of 53
10/8/08 at 5:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by VeganCupcake View Post
But how, in good conscience, can a doctor forbid his patients to have doulas when they've been proven to improve outcomes for women and babies? It's just mind-boggling.
Yeah, but so are routine episitomies, VBAC bans, required continuous monitoring, a higher c-section rate on Fridays and holidays, and...need I go on? So much of maternity care doesn't make sense in this country. I agree that it's refreshing to hear that there are a few doctors who are out in the open about what they want and don't want from their patients. Ideally, there wouldn't be any doctors like this, but I much prefer the overt ones to the covert ones who try to sucker people in by being nice only to change their tune at 34 weeks when it's too late to change providers!

Quote:
my thought on the client is that this is one of the MAJOR impediments to the maternity crisis care in the US. How much time do ppl think about how to decorate the nursery or what kind of stroller they want? but child birth??? leave that to the "professionals". just one of my pet peeves I guess.


My reaction to a sign like that would be to figure out real fast what a doula is and why I can't have one. After meeting a few in town, I'm sure I'd be ready to fire my anti-doula doc. Very weird how this lady just didn't even seem to care that she was being told who could and couldn't be at her birth from the get-go!
post #17 of 53
10/8/08 at 7:43pm
Moving to Birth and Beyond, since this isn't really a DDC-specific conversation.

It's awful though. I can't imagine an OB having the right to put a limit on who can support a woman through her birth. How paternalistic.
post #18 of 53
10/8/08 at 8:33pm
There's an entire hospital here that bans doulas unless they have been fully certified and prescreened by the nurse manager.
post #19 of 53
10/8/08 at 8:48pm
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
post #20 of 53
10/8/08 at 10:08pm
well... nobody has to go to that OB. I would just take my self some where else and let them know why I wouldn't be going with them - hopefully if enough peole complain or make note of it, they'll reevaluate it. but all in all it's his choice to make.

Maybe the OB had a really bad experience with one of "those" doulas. lol. I can't imagine what could have been that awful, but i'd heard some crazy stories... but you know... they could all be rumours. I've never actually met a doula like that - not once! (and I know a lot of them heh)
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