This is just a short one as my little man is not too well but if you have any questions or would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Myth: You cannot have a doula when you are having a cesarean
Fact: Yes you can!
A cesarean is still your birth! You still deserve a doula! A cesarean can even to some extent be a gentle experience.
I never had a doula present at my cesarean births although I did have a fantastic doula due to it being very rushed (turned into an emergency) and I never got a chance to even call her (or my husband) before being whisked off - thankfully nurses at least called my husband and he made it in - just! Anyway back to topic. The point of the last section was that I cannot speak from my own experience in this article only from my experience as a doula.
Lets begin:
What is a gentle cesarean?
A gentle cesarean is a more natural approach to a c-section, we cannot change the fact that it is major surgery but we can make it a more pleasant experience, especially if this was something you were not originally hoping for.
What I love about a gentle c-section is that mirrors are placed so that mum can watch the baby be born and not feel seperated from her own birthing experience by the sheet they usually hang up.
Music is in the room, it is peaceful, it is different from your average operating theatre.
Delayed clamping! The clamp is not immediately cut if you do not wish for it to be.
With a gentle c-section everyone on your birthing team will try to make it as much of a natural birth as possible or immitate where possible such as not pulling baby out straight away, sometimes the head is born and then baby is allowed to rest for a minute before the body is born, much like a vaginal birth.
Mum actually gets skin to skin contact immediately after birth and is allowed to breastfeed as soon as she wants.
Why have a doula at a cesarean birth?The same reasons you would at a vaginal birth! For support, encouragement, guidance etc. Many doulas even take photos of the birth for you so that the birth partner can be right by your side.
Will my hospital allow it?This is where I would LOVE to say yes of course they will! But sadly not all do. This is something to be discussed with caregiver, doula and expectant parents. As hospitals and doulas are coming together more and the way we birth is changing having a doula present at a c-section is becoming less frowned upon and more accepted especially in a gentle cesearean setting.
