so there is a misconception out there about what type of birth doulas support
and what doulas think about epidurals so to get down to the bottom of this i have contacted six
of my favorite doulas to answer that question what do you really think about epidurals
and they have some great things to share for each of the doulas that participated i am including
their instagram handle so make sure to follow them if you want some great birth content i
also have their websites linked down below in the description and without further ado
let's hear from those doulas so what do i think about epidural what do i think about epidurals
what do i think about what do i think of what do i think about epidurals uh as a doula i feel
like epidurals are an incredible tool for birth that is really useful in certain circumstances
not everyone chooses to use an epidural and not everyone has to use an epidural um it's
definitely a personal choice i think epidurals are a great tool that can be used in labor
if you want to i believe that all birthing people are capable of going unmedicated if they desire
to but epidurals are a great way to get some rest um and to recover when you have been laboring for
a really long time so i think that epidurals are a medical intervention that comes with potential
benefits as well as potential risks and the decision of whether or not to use an epidural
for somebody's birth ideally then the benefits will outweigh the risks for that person in that
situation and that's going to be different for every single person and every single birth and it
might change throughout the birth process as well where it might not make sense to get one earlier
and then it makes sense to get one later in the process as you get closer and closer to birthing
as a doula i think they're great i think they're great for the people who want them and need them
i think that under the right circumstances when someone is laboring for a long time
and they're tired and they need a break or they just choose to have one because it's their choice
then they know their threshold and they know what they want and their preferences and they're being
clear on that and expressing that i believe that anyone who wants something in labor should have it
and it shouldn't be the choice of the partner or the extra support people in the room be
doula friends family or even the caregiver and i think when someone has an epidural when they
want one when they feel they need one that leads to a better experience if someone's tired and
they're exhausted from labor and they just need to to get some rest that epidermal can be magic
for someone who who has that kind of need i do feel very strongly that it's not my role
to share my personal views um of an epidural any form of pain management pharmacological
pain management with a client because it's not relevant um and i'm also very um
you know they're always very sure to make sure that my clients understand that even uh if they've
made up their mind um you know in a in a prenatal discussion or a meeting with me that they you know
absolutely don't want it or 100 do want it that they have the right to change their mind at any
time i think epidurals should always be properly consented never coerced and always appropriately
dosed for the needs of the patient you know so i think that it's good for us to just view epidurals
as a tool that should be used appropriately and i think the never coerced is important i do think
we need to be careful that we're always believing birthing people when they say i'm planning to go
into labor with that one i've got all these tools great perfect you totally can do that i absolutely
believe that's possible a nurse a provider a doula should never be suggesting an epidural if it's not
warranted i think there's a lot of power when our clients know they can choose anything in birth
from a place of confidence and not fear um and if if you never choose an epidural that's great and
if you get to the point where you decide to choose one that's great too it should be your decision it
shouldn't be anything people are pushing on you um and if you do have one it should be just another
just a piece of your birth story that's still going to be hopefully really wonderfully supported
really honoring the fact that the baby's coming into your family is a really personal decision
really the only person that can make that kind of a decision is the one who would be getting
the epidural the person who's giving birth and i think that it's really important for families
for pregnant people and their partners and their support people our support team to really talk
through and think through the different scenarios for you know this is our ideal birth experience
this is what we want to happen if everything goes well everything goes to plan and then our plan b
maybe our plan c maybe even all the way to our plan z and you know everything might
change during your process from what you prepared for and what you thought was going to happen
and that's okay just you know it's good to have an idea of what are the benefits what
are the risks and when might this make sense for us to get even if it's a change of plans
you know the truth is that most people that are birthing at a hospital in the u.s do choose to
use an epidural and so my job as their doula is to help them help labor to still progress
even with an epidural help them to move around in the bed with an epidural help them to feel
comfortable and still in charge with an epidural so i'm still supporting them
and they're using that particular tool again i think epidurals are a good thing for those who
want them but for those who feel pressured into having it and they don't really want it if you
know the partner is feeling like they can't bear seeing their loved one in pain anymore or uh for
the mama who's watching her baby have a baby and and you know grandma she's going to be and she's
in the corner weeping because her child is is in labor and in pain even though her child has chosen
not to have an epidural if that person has an epidural because her mama is weeping in the corner
she's not having one out of her own choice she's having one from being pressured from the people
in her environment and so again epidurals are great when you want one not so great if you feel
like you're being pressured into having one and everyone deserves a choice as to what they want
it's not whether or not you know somebody chooses to have one or not because it is a very very
personal choice and i've certainly been at enough births now where i can see that in some situations
an epidural is 100 percent the best way to go um and in many situations has absolutely been
the reason that somebody has been able to avoid a cesarean birth for example so they definitely
have their place um what i do think though is that i think most people are unprepared
for how seductive um that call for the epidural is uh even if they think that they've done a lot of
work to kind of protect them um from um you know from from the i suppose the temptation if you like
um and i think the worst the worst possible thing that could happen is somebody who has been very
very kind of resolute and not wanting to have an epidural and then for whatever reason the
circumstances of their of their labor uh do result in them opting to have one and then following the
birth they look back and they feel a profound sense of disappointment or that they failed
in some way and as a doula i think that is the that's the one thing i never want a client to feel
because i feel fundamentally you cannot fail at birth there is no perfect time to get an epidural
and that it's just the right time for you you can get an epidural early in labor and
sleep most of it you can get an epidural and be completely dilated and ready to push out your baby
sometimes people use epidurals to help them manage their anxiety and sometimes people get epidurals
because they are really really sleepy and i think all of the reasons in between are valid
and good choices to make as long as the choice you feel like you're making
is fully for you and about you and what your needs are in your birth then i think it's perfectly fine
to choose an epidural for your body thanks so much to the doulas that helped out answering
this question if you liked this video and found it helpful please hit the like button so that youtube
knows to share this with more people like you and if you are interested in more on epidurals this
video is going to be the one that you're going to want to check out next and it is about pros and
cons of epidurals if you have a question you want to ask doulas for a future video make sure you add
it in the comment i would love to hear from you and until next time have a great day bye guys