Doulas, Labor and Birth Coaches: Episode #115

On today’s episode of True Birth, we’re talking about labor coaches, birth coaches, and doulas.

Dr. Yaakov Abdelhak and Certiied Nurse Midwife Kristin Mallon highly recommend having a birth coach during labor. They share some of their positive experiences with the recommended birth coaches and doulas on their site www.maternalresources.org.

It helps to have already a reputation of being practitioners that are C-section averse and always put their patients first because doulas come into the situation less wary.

Some doula certifications are more rigorous than others, and just like any coach or guide, it’s essential to find one with plenty of expertise and high recommendations from trusted sources. Labor coaches and doulas should also have a good relationship with your physician, communicate with them well, and understand their reasoning, instead of having an unnecessarily antagonistic or mistrusting angle.

Coaches and doulas vary in how involved they are pre-labor; some do consultations, going over labor preferences and expectations, and others spend less time with patients until labor unless a question comes up or help is needed. However, once labor starts, they will all be present with the mother to explain what’s going on and provide a familiar point of view about the everyday hospital happenings around them. Some labor coaches and doulas provide lactation and postpartum guidance as well.

What makes a bad labor coach? Someone who’s inactive during labor or who taps out during long labors, increases anxiety in the room, or gives bad advice.

What makes a good labor coach? Someone who can spend hours with a patient during labor, be emotionally present, provide good information, and bring some extra confidence into an often difficult experience. If you’re planning to avoid an epidural, a labor coach or doula is a must.

In this episode, you’ll also hear about the costs of having a doula, the range of rates they usually charge, and even the different styles of some of the recommended doulas on MaternalResources.org.