Doula in Gilbert
If you are looking for a doula in Gilbert or surrounding areas, the Happy Birthing team can help. Our goal at Happy Birthing is to be able to serve and reach as many families as possible empowering them with the knowledge and tools we can provide.
What is a doula?
You’re preparing yourself for one of the most beautiful moments of your life: the day when you give birth to your precious baby. Despite how immeasurably special this day will be, there are also many concerns and fears that are attached to it, not least of which are anxieties over having a smooth and safe labor and delivery for both you and your infant.
A doula is a birth assistant that can reduce delivery-day stress, decrease the need for pain-management medications, and lower the chances of requiring a c-section.
What is a doula?
Maybe you’ve heard of doulas, and maybe you haven’t. Some people might associate doulas with at-home birthing or the use of a midwife during childbirth. And while doulas can be employed for births being performed outside of a hospital or with a midwife, they certainly do not have to be! You can have a doula with you for a hospital birth with the obstetrician you were already planning on using. And why is that? Because a doula is not meant to replace any other professional personnel involved in your pregnancy. Rather, a doula is there as a supplement to whatever type of birthing experience you already had in mind.
That’s because a doula is a childbirth expert. Doulas are trained in many different ways to improve your experience with the labor and delivery of your child.
Doulas in Gilbert
Esther and Angela combined are Certified Birth Doulas, trained in HypnoBirthing AND Hypnobabies, Spinning Babies, Birth Photographers and Placenta Specialist. I truly don’t think you can get a better team than this!
What does a doula do?
There are a wide range of ways that a doula can assist an expectant mother with the labor and delivery of her child. One of the most immediate and often-asked-about ways that a doula can assist is with different types of pain management. All women can benefit from some extra help to cope with the pain and stress that come to both a woman’s body as well as mind during labor and delivery. Whether you plan on a natural birthing experience, or have decided to use modern pain management techniques such as a spinal block or epidural, a doula can still help you through the difficult transitions that all women experience, regardless which approach to childbirth they are employing.
Doulas can act as an emotional support to the mother through the entire birthing process. Doulas are also trained in natural pain-management techniques that are specifically targeted towards coping with the discomfort that comes with the dilations of the cervix and the intense pressure often felt while pushing. Some of the techniques used by doulas involve soft touching or massages, while others are accomplished by applying strong counter pressures at specific locations on the mother’s body.
Another way that a doula can support a mother through the birthing process is by supporting the mother’s partner. Sometimes we underestimate the powerful experience that childbirth can be for the mother’s partner. A doula can be a source of strength, support, and certainty for anyone involved in the birthing process. A doula can help to keep people calm and feeling safe during childbirth.
A doula can also act as an important intermediary between the hospital staff and the mother. Expectant mothers may meet with their doula before labor begins, in order to lay out a birth plan. In the stress and motion of the birthing room, that birthing plan can become lost in the hustle and bustle, where nurses or obstetricians are unaware that a birthing plan was created. If a doula was involved in the birthing plan, the doula can act as an advocate for that plan, helping to ensure that the mother’s ideas for her child’s birth are being followed as closely as possible.
Even after the baby has been delivered, a doula can continue to be of assistance to the family. Many doulas are able to offer advice on breastfeeding techniques, for example, which can help relieve both the new mother’s stress as well as the babies. Because a doula is a birthing professional, the doula feels more confident and comfortable working within the hospital environment, and can help a birthing family with some of the routine questions about staying in the hospital after delivery or checking out when it is finally time for mother and baby to go home.
How much does it cost to use a Doula in Gilbert?
One common question about doulas relates to how much they cost. It is wise to check with your insurance provider to see whether or not they will cover the cost of a doula. Whatever the answer, looking into using a doula during your labor and delivery can still be a good choice, especially for first-time mothers. Using a doula has been shown to reduce the risk of other costly, painful, and potentially dangerous operations such as c-sections, while also improving mothers’ overall experience with the birthing process. Even more important to consider may be the uniqueness of delivering a new child. The arrival of your baby is truly a once-in-a-lifetime moment. A doula there to provide comfort and support will enable you to focus more fully on this very special and beautiful time.
Contact us to talk more about a doula for your birth in Gilbert.
We’d love to chat and see how we can fit into your birth plan.