Benefits of a doula amidst Covid 19 .

There is a lot of unknowns right now with COVID 19, but one thing stays the same. Doulas are vital members of the birth team. Here is the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses official statement supporting this. Our goal has always been health and safety for you and your baby. San Francisco recently announce that spouses, partners and doulas will not be allowed in the delivery room. This is NOT okay and the risk that it places on mothers and babies is unacceptable. Locally this is not currently the case. Thankfully! If you are being faced with this the best thing you can do is TALK TO YOUR PROVIDER BEFORE you go into labor. Having a doula supported birth reduces your chance of C-section by 25-39%, decreased occurrence of low APGARs at 5 mins by 38%, decreased risk of dissatisfaction with birth experience by 31 %, reduced labor time by an average of 41 mins, and an increase in spontaneous vaginal birth by 8-15%. All these factors contribute to a shorted hospital stays that can return you to the safety of your home. Unfortunately because of restricted visitor numbers at some hospitals some families previously planning having a birth photographer are not longer able to do so. This service is can be therapeutic for moms who may feel disconnected for the details that make up their birth. This is one of many benefits to having a doula that is also professional birth photographer. I am still able to support families in this way in addition to my doula duties. Doulas don't just provide support in birth, we also provide support during pregnancy and postpartum. This informational, emotional and physical support is crucial especially in times of stress. Prenatally we can support you with evidence based information and resources to make informed decisions such as, ways to address common pregnancy complaints, exploring alternative prenatal care and birth options, give you the tools to labor at home and reducing your time in hospital, listen and help address concerns that you might have, supporting your nutritional needs, supply needs and more. In the postpartum period we support your breastfeeding needs, support your emotional needs in this transitional phase, support your informational needs and last but not least you nutritional and supply needs. This postpartum support show an increase of breastfeeding initiation rates (breastfeeding and immunity), decrease in postpartum depression. 

This post is not about my ability to work, I am thankful to already do a lot of out of hospital care. The heart of this is my concern for the well-being of families that are expecting. If you are need of services, resources for or looking for alternative prenatal or birth options in El Dorado County and the Greater Sacramento Area please let me know.