12 Sample Doula Clients
The women who choose to work with doulas for their births are a
very diverse crowd, with a range of hopes for their births, and a range of
reasons for why they want a doula to attend. The list below is just a sampling;
they are based on clients I have had, but I have changed the details for sake
of client confidentiality.
·
A married woman, in her mid-20’s,
expecting her first child. She and her husband had attended childbirth classes,
and were prepared for the birth. Then, just two weeks before her due date, they
chose to hire a doula, just because of a sense that they were going into
unknown territory, and thought it would be helpful to have an experienced guide
to help them through.
·
A single woman, in her mid-20’s. The pregnancy was unplanned, and
although the father was involved and supportive, marriage was “not in the
cards.” When they contacted me to be their Doula, during her second trimester,
the plan was to give the baby up for adoption. They wanted a doula to help with
the birth process, and also with the grief process of giving up the baby.
However, a week before the due date, the adoptive parents backed out…. The mom
ended up choosing to keep the baby, with the dad having partial custody, so my
role instead became to help with the birth and to help initiate them into
parenthood.
·
A married woman, in her early 30’s. She and her husband had done a
lot of preparation for the birth, including Bradley birth classes. Their goal
was a quiet and peaceful labor, with as few medical interventions, and as few
interruptions as possible. They wanted a Doula to help “hold the space” for
them, and help them have the birth they wanted. The husband was definitely the
primary support person and primary advocate, and I was there as a backup and a
reassuring presence and to discourage un-needed interruptions
and interventions.
·
A non-English speaking immigrant, in her mid-30’s. She had given
birth twice before, in her native country. Her most recent birth was 9 years
before, and she was concerned that it had been so long, and perhaps this birth
would not go well because of that. Her public health nurse wanted an advocate
for her within the American hospital setting, which would be so different from
what she had experienced before. During the birth, she was attended by the
interpreter and myself; her sister was only able to
come after 11:00 pm when her work shift ended.
·
A married woman, in her late 30’s. She has a 3-year-old child, and
her memories of that birth were of being frightened, out of control, and in an
overwhelming amount of pain. She wanted a Doula to help her feel more
empowered, and help her cope better with this birth experience. The goal was to
stay home as long as possible, keeping active and distracted, and go to the
hospital only when necessary, and find ways to help the hospital feel like a
safer environment, where she felt some sense of control.
·
A married woman planning for a home birth with a midwife and a
birthing tub. She would be attended by her husband, her housemates (when they
weren’t tending to their toddler), and two doulas (we were both friends of the
family.) Her labor ended up being fairly quick and easy, and the baby was being
birthed as I walked in the door. But a few days later, a major health issue
arose with the baby, so I offered additional support to the family after the
birth.
·
A 17 year old, referred by her public health nurse. The dad would
be present at the birth, but wasn’t sure how supportive he would be able to be.
They wanted a Doula to help them understand the birth process, and help them
“go with the flow” of labor: she has talked to lots of other women about birth,
and understands that every labor is different, and it’s hard to predict how
hers will go.
·
A 16 year old, referred by her friend, who told her repeatedly “I
couldn’t have done it without my Doula.” This mom was initially very frightened
of the whole idea of vaginal birth, and at one point in her pregnancy was
strongly hoping for a cesarean section. She told me “I keep telling myself that
I have to have a vaginal birth, and
there aren’t any other options.” I talked a lot about her fears and how to move
past them, and I encouraged her to try to shift her thinking to “I can have
a vaginal birth, and I will choose
that, because I know it’s best for me and for my baby.”
·
A single woman, in her late 20’s. Her mother will be her support
person during labor (dad is out of the picture) but her mother does not believe
she is capable of birthing without pain medications. She wants support in
attempting a natural birth. Also, she has a history of bipolar disorder, and
knows she is at risk for postpartum depression, and wants to make sure she has
support during labor to get her parenting off to a good start.
·
A married woman, mid-30s. Has a 6 year old – during that labor,
first stage was very easy and not painful; however, second stage was 6 hours of
pushing! She wants this birth to be different: knows that changing positions
throughout labor and birth can help, wants a Doula to remind her to do this.
Also, she has insulin-controlled gestational diabetes which puts her in a
high-risk category. She has talked with doctors about minimizing interventions,
but wants to make sure there is someone there to help her husband advocate for
their desires so that she can focus on labor and birth. Their daughter will
also be at birth, with an aunt to tend to her needs.
·
A married woman, mid-30s. Has had four
prior pregnancies: two children, a stillbirth, and a miscarriage. It’s her
husband’s first baby. Originally, she wanted a Doula just to provide support
during labor and birth. However, her doctor recommends a repeat cesarean
section, due to the doctor’s concerns about VBAC birth. So, I meet them at the
hospital on the scheduled day, to provide information, advocacy and support
during the pre-op time, surgery, and recovery.
·
An immigrant, whose husband was still in their native country due
to problems with obtaining a visa. Although she had
relatives in town who were supportive and helpful, they were all male, and
within her culture, it was not appropriate for them to attend her and support
her at her birth. Upon arrival at the hospital, a cesarean was recommended
because the baby was estimated to be over 10 pounds. The mother wanted to
attempt vaginal birth, and my doula apprentice and I worked together with the
hospital staff to do all within our power to move her toward a vaginal birth,
while still being aware of her safety and the baby’s well-being. (In the end,
she did have a vaginal birth of a 10 pound, 6 ounce baby.)