What if Im planning on getting an epidural or having a scheduled cesarean birth?
A doula can still be very active at a birth that includes a planned epidural or cesarean procedure. At a cesarean birth a doula can offer a description of the birth as it occurs or record the birth with a video or film camera while the birth partner sits near your head to provide emotional support, or vice versa. After the baby is born either the birth partner or doula can accompany the baby to the nursery while the other person stays with you in the operating room while the surgery is completed. A doula can also write a birth story of the cesarean birth, helping to reinforce your memory of a beatiful birth experience. Many women intend to receive epidural anaesthesia at some point in their labor. Research shows that the chances of having a forceps/vacuum-assisted delivery or cesarean birth decrease if the epidural is not administered until a consistent active labor pattern has been established. Many doctors allow a laboring woman to receive her epidural when she reaches 4-5 cm dilatio
Related Questions
- Why would I want to aim for a natural childbirth rather than planning to get an epidural or planning a scheduled cesarean section?
- Do Women Who Choose Epidural Anesthesia or Require a Cesarean Birth Still Benefit From Doula Service?
- Why should a pregnant woman planning a cesarean delivery prepare for birth?
