Okay, I’m fairly sure this will be my last post about birth for awhile. There is just so much associated with birth that I’ve wanted to share! Thanks for your patience with me (and hopefully this will be useful to at least some of you).
I never was a sports person, so I don’t know much about coaching. But, I do know that having a support staff in labor is essential to achieving the type of birth experience you want. All of our family is far away, so our coaching staff consisted of Brian and a doula, Becca. Nurses and doctors are also part of the birth experience, but they are more of a variable. You can’t control exactly which doctor or nurse will be on-call during your labor and delivery, but you can control who you bring with you!
Brian and I took a Bradley course (with Lisa Upham of A Baby Naturally) the first time around, so he was well-prepared for what happens during childbirth. Folks, he is an AMAZING coach. You’d think he’d been doing it his whole life. He is attentive, supportive, sweet, encouraging, firm, and never leaves my side. He knows all the activities that will encourage the progression of labor and he pushes me to keep active and to relax. I honestly don’t think I’d have made it unmedicated through either of my births without him.
Secondly, we hired a doula to help give support throughout the birth. Our first doula, Sarah, moved out of the state so we had to find a new one. We were referred to Becca of Labor of Love Doula Services and were so happy with her work! Having a doula provides extra emotional and physical support, as well as a wealth of knowledge about childbirth. She really helped get me over my slow progression of dilation through her experiences with other births. Plus, she was able to give me support while Brian needed to use the bathroom or grab some food. We loved having a doula!
Having support from people you trust plays
such a huge role in labor and delivery!
