My Doula Experience - Supporting my husband

When we were expecting our first child, my husband and I hired a birth doula primarily to support him! Through our reading and our childbirth class, it became abundantly clear that what I needed to stay calm and relaxed was him. Therefore, we needed support to help him step confidently into the role of my birth partner. At that time, I didn’t expect our doulas to become my own lifeline, but they did. Labor began, and we quickly discovered that our baby was in a posterior position, or sunny-side-up. Birthing a posterior baby can be very challenging, in many cases leading to longer, more painful labor, and a more difficult pushing stage.

Thanks to my husband’s calming presence and my doulas’ knowledge and encouragement, I was able to progress through labor with lots of position changes, counter‑pressure, soothing words, and my favorite, the bathtub. Even through my lengthy pushing stage, I felt heard, supported, respected, and like one of the two most important people in my birthing room. Throughout the entire experience, our doulas helped my husband to be present, fed and hydrated, and to comfort me even through back labor! But at the same time, they helped me through my birth experience in practical ways that none of us could have anticipated.

That first birth taught me that doulas don’t just support your initial birth plans. Doulas support you through every twist and turn along the way.