Becoming a parent is an incredibly transformative journey where you will grow, stretch, and change more than you can imagine. Having a support system in place throughout your journey to parenthood is essential.
This blog post aims to provide a comprehensive guide highlighting the benefits of hiring a doula in Connecticut, focusing on birth support, labor assistance, and postpartum support for expectant parents.
Emotional Support
If you or your partner are expecting you completely understand what I mean when I say that hormones cause quite the scene during pregnancy. Joy, fear, sadness, excitement, anger, anxiety, rage, and depression, are all normal to feel during pregnancy and postpartum.
Navigating the rollercoaster of emotions throughout pregnancy and postpartum can be challenging and at times overwhelming. As a Connecticut doula, my job is to be a reassuring presence and a continuous support during your pregnancy, your labor and delivery, and your postpartum period.
I am here for you in person and also via phone/text/email for any and all conversations, questions, and concerns! There is no bad question or feeling, we can discuss anything and everything!
Physical Support and Comfort Measures
Feeling supported during your labor and delivery can make all the difference in your birth experience. During your prenatal appointments we will talk about labor extensively and we will also talk about the different techniques that you and your partner would like to try during your labor.
Having a doula with you during your labor and delivery is so beneficial. It helps both the birthing parent and partner remain calm, empowered, and in control of their birth experience.
Studies have shown that having continuous doula support during labor and delivery can decrease the risk of cesarean birth, increase the likelihood of spontaneous vaginal birth, decrease the use of medications for pain relief, decrease the length of labor (minimally), decrease the rate of low APGAR scores at five minutes for the newborn, and decrease feelings of dissatisfaction with the birth experience. (From: Evidence Based Birth)
Some examples of physical support and comfort measures I might provide (or teach your partner to provide) during labor include:
Massage
Hip squeezes during contractions
Applying counter pressure on your lower back during contractions
Apply hot and cold compresses to your lower back
Place a cold cloth on your forehead
Assist you in and out of the bath or shower
Suggest and help you with position changes during labor
Adjust lighting and sounds in the birthing space
Maintain eye contact during contractions
Speak affirmations to the birthing partner during contractions
This list is just a sampling, I could write for days on what support during labor looks like!
Advocacy and Communication
This is where many people get confused. My role, as your doula in Connecticut, is not to advocate for you with your providers but rather to teach you and support you in advocating for yourself.
I will work with you to create a personalized birth plan and I will help to educate you and your partner on possible interventions/things that could arise during labor and delivery. In your delivery space my goal is to facilitate open and honest communication between you and your providers.
Consider me a cheerleader in your corner encouraging you and your partner throughout your entire labor.
Information and Education
During our prenatal visits I will provide evidence based child birth education. We will discuss in depth what to expect physically, mentally, and emotionally during pregnancy, early and active labor, and postpartum. Our visits will include education on childbirth options and procedures as well as preparation for postpartum care at home.
As your doula I help expectant parents to make informed decisions during pregnancy, labor/delivery, and postpartum. My goal is to keep you off the internet with questions and concerns...we all know how quickly we can go down a rabbit hole here! Don't be like this new parent completely overwhelmed with parenting books. Call your doula!
Partner Involvement and Support
Many times the partners have the hardest time "buying in" to the need for a doula but then when everything is all said and done they are incredibly grateful that they did.
If you are first time parents, it's likely that neither you or your partner have pregnancy, birth, or postpartum experience. If you already have a child, you may be reading this blog because you were lacking support that you wished you had during your previous pregnancy.
Seeing and experiencing someone give birth can be magical but it can also be scary. Let's be honest, labor can be pretty painful at times and seeing the person you love in extreme pain with no idea how to help them can be overwhelming and a bit traumatizing.
My own partner, during the birth of my second child, needed to sit down and drink some apple juice on the couch on the other side of the room while I was pushing! He says at the time, he couldn't see past my suffering, was overwhelmed by the rawness, and had no idea how to help me. He felt lost and scared by what was happening and was suddenly feeling dizzy and looked pale.
My goal is to equip your partner with tools to be present with you during your labor so they don't need any apple juice ;-)
I will teach your partner how to help you physically and I will be there throughout your journey to help your partner stay engaged and involved emotionally.
Postpartum Transition and Recovery
Once your new bundle of joy has arrived and you get discharged from the hospital you may find things to be a bit more challenging than expected. Carrying a child for nine months and then delivering them earth side is a lot on a person's body and you will need rest and recovery...but you also need to figure out how to keep a tiny human happy and healthy.
Hiring a postpartum doula will ease your transition into parenthood. As your Connecticut doula I would not only aid in newborn care but I will also be there to care for you and the rest of your family.
During the day postpartum care might look like prepping a crockpot meal, holding baby while you nap/shower/whatever, folding baby laundry, entertaining siblings, sterilizing bottles and pump parts, answering questions and giving out tips and tricks.
Overnight postpartum care is designed for parents to get the maximum amount of rest that they can. I will care for baby throughout the night (waking parent for feedings if body feeding). Parents will rest throughout the night and when they wake up in the morning I will pass off a full report of when baby slept, what baby ate, how many diapers were changed, and all of the other tiny details that happened throughout the night.
Getting some quality rest while you adjust to being a new family and learn to care for a newborn is essential! Check out my postpartum services here :-)
Real Life Experiences
From Connecticut families that I have supported!
"I cannot recommend Chelsea enough for her doula services. She was prompt, left very detailed notes of our sons schedule from the overnight, and always stuck around in the morning to review how the night went.
She provided us with such wonderful support, especially during a stressful time for our family. Our son did great with her, and I was able to get some much needed rest - which really made a huge difference in my mental health in the postpartum period. Thank you Chelsea!"
-Danielle
"Chelsea guides without pushing, and offers different options when things don't go as planned. She guided me through my pregnancy, through birth, those terrifying first few days and weeks, the wonder and challenge of breastfeeding, the joys of babywearing, the impossible struggle of never feeling good enough.
I'm a good mom- a GREAT mom- and I know it. Chelsea's been in my sidecar to getting there the whole time. Chelsea is the real deal!"
-Rachael
The benefits of hiring a Connecticut doula are undeniable. Doulas educate and support you through pregnancy, stay by your side throughout your entire labor and delivery helping you to have the most positive experience you can, and then they help to ease your transition into parenthood and give you time to heal and adapt postpartum.
Ready to work with a Doula in Connecticut?
If you are currently expecting or recently postpartum I encourage to consider the value that a doula will bring to your family. To find out if I'm the right doula for you click below to schedule a discovery call, let's explore the possibilities of a positive birth and postpartum experience for you and your family!
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