Doula Education Series – Doula 104

Doula Education Series – Part 4/5

Doula 104 – Comfort Measures & Self Care

Your first doula training should have taught you the physical skills to be a doula to be able offer physical comfort measures. Of course, you will learn and gather more tools along the way from other doulas and/or trainings and may even invent some techniques yourself! Practice in the field will also give you a few “go to’s” that will become a natural reflex when you see something in front of you during a labor.

Part of comfort measures is cementing in your mind the physiological stages of labor, so that you are fully aware of what is normally happening in the body and with the baby as you attend a birth. You have learned a lot in a short amount of time with your doula training and keeping things simple comes from the support of childbirth education.

Our additional childbirth education will allow you to understand common pregnancy symptoms, what’s normal and what’s not when your parents may mention a problem they are having in a rather casual way.

Sometimes, it’s the doula that directs a family to a provider…

Parents may have not thought what symptoms they were experiencing was a big deal. You may not see that as part of comfort measures, but it is. Labor patterns that present as a bit out of the ordinary can also allow for an understanding about where baby may be and what you can do to encourage a better position or more comfort to the laboring person.

Every labor is different. The needs of the family are unique.

Learning the value of reading the room and connecting with both the baby and the family will make a world of difference. As we go through the essentials for a forward moving labor and the enemies of labor(fear, stress and exhaustion) you will be able to come up with plans in the moment and flow with what is needed. You are serving this family without taking on the issues and problems or the successes – your ego is left at the door. What does this baby and their family need in this moment – your intuition will guide you and you will get good at trusting it the first time you hear from it.

Self care before, after and in between births –

This will become an essential part for your business and your love of birth work to survive. Setting intentions and having rituals on your way to meet a family is where that starts. Arriving to the labor, mirroring the calm state of mind, releasing your jaw and modeling the ideal state of the birthing body will help you remember the trust everyone needs with this process. While we offer you endless ideas for your doula bag, you will also be prepared to show up with nothing but your hands and your heart and will be just fine.

You are enough…

To learn more about the upcoming Doula Education Series or to sign up – Click here