Can Doulas Prevent Cesarean Deliveries?
The World Health Organization reaffirms that the best outcomes for women and babies appear to occur with cesarean section rates of 5% to 10%. Rates above 15% seem to do more harm than good. In and around Jacksonville, Florida the average is above 30% for cesarean birth.
Many people wonder, can doulas prevent cesarean deliveries?
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) states that increasing women’s access to nonmedical interventions during labor, such as continuous labor and delivery support, also has been shown to reduce cesarean birth rates.
Yes, this means doulas!
This statement, however, can be a little misleading. Hiring a doula may reduce your need for a cesarean birth, but it doesn’t prevent the medical need or personal desire for a cesarean birth. So the answer to the question, can doulas prevent cesarean deliveries is no. Prevent, no. Reduce the chances, maybe. If you end up with a truly amazing doula!
At The Jacksonville Baby Company, we know that less than 5% of couples giving birth today are hiring doulas.
That’s a really small number of birthing people. The evidence shows that doulas can help reduce the risk of an unwanted cesarean birth. That’s exciting news for families seeking a vaginal birth! You know what’s even more exciting? The power the birthing person has to reduce those risks without hiring a doula!
The power to reduce risks and set someone up for a more satisfying birth experience does not lie with any doula!
The power has always and will always be with you, the person preparing to give birth! There isn’t some magical fairly doula who swoops in and fixes all the things, protects you, and wards off interventions. Grab hold, step up, and slay! That power has always been yours! Just like Dorthy with those ruby slippers!
We support you and believe in you no matter how you give birth!
You may have heard that it’s important to choose a doula whose philosophy about birth matches your philosophy. It sounds great in theory, but consider this: selecting someone based on their ideas about birth may set you up to feel less supported and more judged should your plans change. This happens everytime that a doula comes with a philosophy. We think hiring a doula is great IF that’s what you want, but doulas can’t “prevent” c-section births.
I’ve attended over 200 births and even the most well-written birth plans have NEVER been executed exactly as they were designed to.
There is immeasurable beauty in that! There is, believe me I have witnessed it time and time again! One of our clients said it best, “It was nothing like I planned, but everything I hoped it would be!” Plans often change based as new information arises or as your desires change when you’re in the thick of it….and that is MORE THAN OKAY!
A solid childbirth education course is life!
Knowledge is power! One way you can be proactive in your birth experience is to take a childbirth class, but not just any old class! Be selective! Hospital classes are designed to teach you about stages and phases of labor and some of your “options” they prefer you to utilize while in their hospital. These classes usually explain some of what to expect at that particular hospital, what is “allowed” or “against policy” and a picture of the ideal birth unfolding. Not to shabby, but not all it could be! In a method-based class you will learn one method for managing labor pains…and that’s about it. I mean if that method ends up being what you need in labor, great! If not you might find yourself feeling…. well fill in the blank.
If the method I learned doesn’t help me manage pain in labor, I will probably feel ______________.
At The Jax Baby Company, we nail it, every time!
We come to you with a wide range of experience, knowledge, and research-based education, not our opinions (you know what they say about opinions, they’re like…..). We tailor what and how we teach to our student’s needs! We teach multiple tools and strategies for all the variations of labor AND we cover postpartum and newborn care!
Even though we have the skill set and expertise we know you run the show! Your parenting style and choices for your family will be supported whether that means babywearing or strolling, formula or breast, epidural or barking like a dog while howling and crying, we got you! We support families that bed share and sleep train, who shares cookies with a mouse in a house while baking a cake and wearing a rake! Our support does not include “BUT”.
There are no “buts” with The Jax Baby Company.
Doulas can’t prevent cesarean deliveries! Our classes can help reduce the chances you’ll have one if you are planning for a vaginal birth, and will help you plan and prepared for a cesarean birth should you end up needing one or even just want one.
You+ Your Partner + The Jax Baby Company = Kick Ass Team
Happy Birth & Parenting!
Sources:
ACOG- Safe-Prevention-of-the-Primary-Cesarean-Delivery
Childbirth Connection- Evidence for Doulas
