As I suppose many of you will know, we have a small organized war in the world of pregnancy and childbirth with the appearance of a new figure called doula and that seems to have not entered very well in a world that to date was ruled by midwives who now see how it is interfering with their work.
Today we have brought you the testimonies of two doulas, Jesusa Ricoy and Carolina Cerro, but we lacked that of a mother who had passed through the hands of a doula.
Andrea Morante is a mother blogger who was assisted by a doula during her pregnancy and childbirth. Those who follow her, we already know how her pregnancy experience and her birth was through her blog living in my blue cloud, but we have thought it appropriate for her to tell us her own experience.
In general, how was your pregnancy and childbirth?
My pregnancy went well at the health level, but quite hard physically and mentally. I had hyperemesis gravidarum throughout pregnancy, in addition to a situation not stable around me. I was quite tired, very sensitive, with a lot of inconvenience. The truth is that it was not a beautiful time. The delivery was long, very long. I had some prodomes of 2 days, very intense, that did not just trigger in childbirth, but neither allowed me to live normal life or rest. Finally, after cracking the bag, in 9 hours (only 5 in the hospital) my son was born in a natural birth in the water.
Those of us who move through this world of motherhood do not miss the term Doula, but I am sure that for many people it will be the first time they hear that term. What is a doula?
A Doula is a woman who performs an emotional accompaniment and I would say logistic to a pregnant woman during pregnancy, childbirth and / or postpartum. They are especially sensitive moments in the life of a woman, where having the presence of another experienced woman, who listens to you and knows how to accompany you, makes our fears and our insecurities diminish markedly.
How I think this emotional accompaniment is not understood very well, I would like to give an example: My biggest fear in childbirth was that I had an episiotomy, since all the women in my family have had huge tears of more than 20 points. I wanted to go out with the perineum intact by all means. During pregnancy there were many people who told me that this was impossible, and I, along with my Doula, tried to mentalize me and inform me of the best ways to achieve my goal. During the delivery, when it was time to push, all my fears, the freaks, made an appearance and I became so nervous that even the contractions began to space. My Doula realized, and asked me what was wrong with me. With 2 sentences he understood that I was going through my mind and knew how to calm down and remind me of everything we had talked about in the last months. That cannot be done by the midwife simply because she does not know me. That's what a Doula is for, that's the kind of support it can offer.
Having the presence of another experienced woman, who listens to you and knows how to accompany you, makes our fears and our insecurities diminish markedly.
Did you give birth in the hospital, at home, in the bush (a new fashion from the USA)?
I gave birth in a public hospital. I would like to point out that no Doula I know accompanies a birth if there is no medical staff (midwife or gynecologist) present.
Were both the doula and the midwife present at the time of delivery?
At the time of delivery, Matrona, assistant, doula and of course my husband were present. I remember that my husband was on my left, my doula on my right, the assistant holding a mirror and the matron placed the monitor from time to time. All in silence and encouraging when I needed it, very calmly.
Until what time were your services or still useful?
My agreement with my Doula only included a postpartum visit in my house, which I think was after a week. But since I had difficulties at the beginning of breastfeeding, he visited me a couple more times during the first month. Now it is still the sea of useful, but already as a friend, not as Doula.
Did you agree with the result? If you had another child, would you repeat the experience?
Definitely yes. I wanted to leave childbirth without points and so it was. His presence gave me a lot of confidence and my husband lived the whole process much quieter. In addition, he was super aware of our breastfeeding and that it was well established, and I will thank you all my life. My husband, who was reluctant to take Doula, shortly after finishing the delivery, one of the first things he said was "the next one, with her too".
Would you have liked something to have been different?
Man, for asking I would have asked for a little less hard prodromes, but everything was as it had to be. I would not change anything. Now the problem is that the following must be the same or better, and that is not easy.
Was there a time when doula and the medical staff (doctors or midwives) gave you contradictory directives?
Is that my doula at no time gave me any directive, and it is also not his job. I did have doubts about some evidence that I commented with her and the medical staff, and then made decisions. From the first meeting she repeated to me without ceasing that she was not there to make decisions for anyone or to tell us what we had to do. The sea made it clear.
My doula at no time gave me any directive, and it is also not his job.
What do you think of all this controversy that has been built around doulas and nurses?
I think it got out of hand. The report seems to me an absolute nonsense, I don't identify at all with anything he puts there. Above all it hurt me a lot to deny the existence of obstetric violence, when that is a problem that should be studied, and not if I want to be accompanied to my birth by another woman or not. In some media I have read that they talk about cannibal midwives, it's like the phone game escaped, Someone heard something and from there he interpreted what he wanted.
Do you think there is work intrusion? Do you really need four years of studies to do what a doula does?
There can be no labor intrusion when the work of one and the other has nothing to do. Some midwives say that emotional support is their business. That is impossible, because my midwife from the health center is not going to come to have a coffee with me to tell her my fears and concerns about the delivery, and even if I did it, it would not matter, because she is not going to be who He will attend me. And as for the hospital midwife, it is very likely that at the time of delivery it will be the first time she sees her. In addition, the same midwife has several women whom she has to attend at the same time, how will she be aware of you, to advise you of postures, to give you massages, to see what you need? I think that the other way around, they are perfect complements. My doula and my midwife worked very well together and without a doubt the result was wonderful.
My doula and my midwife worked very well together and without a doubt the result was wonderful.
What does a Doula not do a father?
I believe that the creature's father is for something else. For him it is also an unknown moment, a moment of nerves, and I believe that the fact of being able to share the responsibility of supporting women makes them live in a quieter way. My husband was very grateful to have someone to turn to when he was overwhelmed by the situation.
Do you think the doulas would exist if the midwives took more into account the human part of a birth?
Yes, I think they would continue to exist. Unless you put 2 midwives per woman who have exclusivity and that guarantee that they will be in your delivery, I think that gap is still there. And honestly, I don't understand why some should not exist if there are others. Recall that the fact that the doulas are not recognized in Spain does not mean that they are in other countries, where doulas and midwives work in harmony and each in their field. There are studies that clearly speak of the benefits of doulas (50% less episiotomies, labor 90 minutes shorter, etc.), so more than riding World War III against them, I think it would be necessary to work to give the doulas a legal framework in which their functions are delimited and legalized.
