Hey everybody have you noticed that doulas are gaining in popularity. They're not quite
at that trending level yet but they are being discussed more and more. This is my 17th year
working as a doula and believe me that this is a really big change and I am here for it but I
also think that this is the perfect time to dispel some doula myths which is my plan for the video.
Along with sharing some insider secrets to finding a doula that you want to work with I also want
to share some red flags to look for in the doula that you might be working with there's something
that makes my day like reading and replying to youtube comments so I would love it if you drop me
a comment and let me know your interest in doulas are you a doula are you thinking about hiring one
have you worked with one what's your interest let me know okay so let's just get this biggest
doula myth out of the way first doulas aren't just for supporting natural or low intervention birth
doulas support all types of birth all types doulas they should have no agenda for your birth
this is actually the first doula red flag to look out for i believe that if your doula has an
agenda for your birth that you should beware and furthermore you can absolutely change your plans
and your doula should still provide the same level of support now i worked with this family a few
years ago they planned to have a low intervention birth they seemed very set on this plan we talked
about strategies we talked about coping techniques preferences all of that helped them get a birth
plan written and once labor started they quickly opted for an epidural they totally changed their
minds about most of their preferences and i was absolutely in support of this new plan because
it didn't matter to me how their labor looked like i was just there to help them achieve their goals
okay the next myth is that doulas are not your protectors
what i mean by this is that if you choose a care provider so an ob or a midwife who
doesn't support the type of birth you want your doula really can't fix it
i had an interview a few years ago with a couple that really wanted to avoid an induction they
said that was the primary reason that they were looking for a doula and then they told me about
the practice they were working with it was an ob practice that was really known for their high
induction rates and really their high pressure tactics now i knew this firsthand after working
with this practice and seeing it this family said that they wanted a doula to help protect them from
this high pressure induction that they felt like was probably going to be in their future and
while doulas are really good at their jobs they really can't protect you from situations like this
unfortunately another red flag is that if your doula promises that working with them will keep
bad things from happening to you or if they say things like it doesn't really
matter who your provider is i'll be there and that's what matters that's really red flag
doulas can discuss your preferences can discuss your provider choice
help you work through questions to ask them and make sure that it's a good fit if that
is something you are interested in but ultimately your relationship with your health care provider
makes a huge difference in your labor and your birth next myth doulas can't guarantee outcomes
this is where i might piss off some of the doulas out there but when i see doulas posting
their european birth statistics like number of epidurals or a number of cesarean births
and number of clients it makes me feel like what they are saying is that they as the individual
doula are responsible for those outcomes and while research is really clear that doulas reduce the
caesarean rate they lower rates of intervention but this is not a guarantee and that's the main
thing if your doula guarantees some type of outcome then that's really a red flag it's just
not possible finally there are doulas of every age race gender ethnicity religion life status
personality and styles of doulas are not the same either and when you interview and select
your doula i encourage you to meet more than one and know that the doula that worked best
for your sister your best friend might not be the right one for you so when you interview ask
doulas all of your questions just have an open discussion get a feel for their style
and after a couple interviews you'll probably have a better idea of who will work best for you and
who will be that important part of your birth team now no matter what type of birth you are planning
with or without a doula i know that you will enjoy this video right here about five asymmetrical
positions that can speed up labor and if you haven't subscribed to the channel yet i would
love to invite you to hit that button now new videos are uploaded every tuesday and i teach live
on this channel regularly so love to see more of you around here hit the button until next time bye