My Pre-Birth Doula Ritual
My Pre-Birth Doula Ritual
I don’t wait until The Call to get ready to attend a birth. My preparations to attend a birth actually begin a few days before someone is due. Anytime someone is approaching a due date, here are a few thing I do to prepare for supporting a labor and birth:
I print out a couple of copies of the client’s Labor and Birth Preferences. While we encourage our clients to bring copies of their plan to the birth center or hospital, I like having them in my bag just in case the client left their house in haste. It’s such a relief for them when they realize they forgot their written preferences and I say, “No problem. I’ve got you.” And then pull out a copy to give to them for them to hand to their care providers.
I take care of myself. This looks like making sure I am getting plenty of sleep on a regular schedule, eating well, and sticking to my exercise routines. It also looks like keeping scheduled meetings to a minimum around due dates.
I make sure I have a full tank of gas. I don’t need to panic when I get that 3am phone call and I have an hour’s drive ahead of me when I know my gas light isn’t on.
I pack my bag. I don’t have a giant doula bag but I do have a few things I make sure I have in my bag. This includes my doula certification letter since hospitals are now requiring certified doulas. It also contains my client’s birth preferences. Most importantly it contains a lot of self-care items for me...snacks, hoodie, ibuprofen, and toiletry items.
After 8 years and over 200 births, I’ve learned the above things help me feel more prepared and less anxious as I approach a client due date. When I feel more calm, that translates into being a calmer presence and better doula for my clients