I need some suggestions from experienced doulas here. I am wanting to train to be a doula when my in-utero-baby is about a year old. In the meantime I have a few pg friends who want me to be their support person.
I've been reading and studying up and have helped two women so far. One had a hospital epidural birth which is what she wanted. That was pretty easy. The other one just had her baby earlier this week. She was a VBAC and had a totally drug free labor but her labor was very fast and intense. I had the same kidn of labor and understood how painful it was. She said later it was worse that her previous pitocin-induced labor!
Anyway it got me thinking because I have another natural childbirth coming up in October and that friend has never had a baby before. She is adamant about not wanting drugs but what if she changes her mind halfway through? I know that with my own labor I was happy to get the epidural because I felt like I was going to die- and I'm a former long-distance runner so I know how to handle pain!
She will most likely be in the birth center but may have to give birth at the hosp. I'm not sure if they give narcotics at the birth center or not but they don't give the epidural. So what if she starts begging for drugs? How do I know it's her speaking and not the transition "I can't do this anymore" speaking? I don't want to sound bossy and say no you can't have them, you didn't want them, if she really did change her mind and needs them to cope.
I have a feeling at that stage she may not be able to think rationally so it won't do me any good to list all the reasons she didn't want drugs. All she will know is that she is hurting and wants it to stop. I've thought about doing the following:
1) give her a code word to use if she *really* has changed her mind
2) keep her busy with changing positions so she won't think about it. Like say, okay but let's try leaning over this chair first to see if that makes you feel better.
3) Say let's get through 5 more cx first and then we'll see.
4) Tell her no she can't have them, as she asked me to do, but I feel funny doing it because what if she really does want them?
Any other suggestions? Thanks!
Darshani
I've been reading and studying up and have helped two women so far. One had a hospital epidural birth which is what she wanted. That was pretty easy. The other one just had her baby earlier this week. She was a VBAC and had a totally drug free labor but her labor was very fast and intense. I had the same kidn of labor and understood how painful it was. She said later it was worse that her previous pitocin-induced labor!
Anyway it got me thinking because I have another natural childbirth coming up in October and that friend has never had a baby before. She is adamant about not wanting drugs but what if she changes her mind halfway through? I know that with my own labor I was happy to get the epidural because I felt like I was going to die- and I'm a former long-distance runner so I know how to handle pain!
She will most likely be in the birth center but may have to give birth at the hosp. I'm not sure if they give narcotics at the birth center or not but they don't give the epidural. So what if she starts begging for drugs? How do I know it's her speaking and not the transition "I can't do this anymore" speaking? I don't want to sound bossy and say no you can't have them, you didn't want them, if she really did change her mind and needs them to cope.
I have a feeling at that stage she may not be able to think rationally so it won't do me any good to list all the reasons she didn't want drugs. All she will know is that she is hurting and wants it to stop. I've thought about doing the following:
1) give her a code word to use if she *really* has changed her mind
2) keep her busy with changing positions so she won't think about it. Like say, okay but let's try leaning over this chair first to see if that makes you feel better.
3) Say let's get through 5 more cx first and then we'll see.
4) Tell her no she can't have them, as she asked me to do, but I feel funny doing it because what if she really does want them?
Any other suggestions? Thanks!
Darshani