Doulas Don’t Replace Your Partner

One of the biggest concerns we hear in consults often comes from a laboring mom’s birth partner – “Will the doula replace me?” and “What will my role be if there’s a doula in the room?” It’s a legitimate concern; as the old adage goes, “two is company, three’s a crowd.” But we want to address these concerns head on, and create a new birth motto: “two is company, but three is a heckuva birth team!” (Okay, I agree not quite as catchy, but definitely true). You know your partner, we know birth

You’ve met your doulas at the consult and prenatal meeting, and have developed a trusting, warm relationship. Regardless of the quality time we’ve spent together, we will never know your partner like you do! You are their best bud, know their deepest hopes and fears (no spiders or clowns in the birth room!), and have been with them through it all. You can dig deep into your memory bank and elicit emotions we aren’t privy to.

On the other hand, we are trained to know birth. We are experts on the ins and outs of birth and have seen dozens of stories unfold. We live a demanding on-call lifestyle and sometimes miss important life events because we believe in the value of our role for your growing family. We haven’t seen it all, but we’ve seen quite a lot. We bring a sense of calm and confidence to every situation, and draw from our experience and expertise to help you, the birth partner, have the best experience possible.

We’re not only there for Mom, we support you too!

A first-time mom’s labor can last anywhere from 10 to 20 hours, although of course there are always exceptions. Being the sole support for someone for that length of time is physically and emotionally taxing. If you need to take a break, eat a solid meal, or check the score of the Tribe game (we understand, it’s the Playoffs), you can step out for a breather and know your partner is still in great hands.

Speaking of great hands, we have them! We can provide the hands-on physical comfort measures, or, coach you on how best to work with contractions using counter-pressure, massage, hot/cold therapy, position changes, and more. If you want to lead the charge on emotional and vocal coaching, it’s not always obvious what the right thing to say is. We can help you find the words. We are attuned to recognize what’s working and what isn’t. Some moms like complete silence, some gentle coaching, and some want someone to moan through contractions with them. Repeat, we will moan through contractions with your partner if you don’t feel comfortable doing it.

We have the information you need

An integral part of your birth team are your nurses and OB or midwife. They are there to make sure baby and Mom are healthy, which is of the utmost importance. But they will have other patients to focus on as well, and may not always be readily available. As doulas working solely for you and your partner, we won’t leave your side. We will be there to answer questions (yes, your partner will probably poop while pushing), provide suggestions (don’t forget your breath mints), and help you know your options (there are LOTS of them). Even if you’ve read every book and taken every childbirth class, sometimes you’re in the thick of labor and everything goes out the window – it happens. We have the tools and information to get you through the toughest parts with confidence.

With the support of a doula, you’re able to focus on your partner, provide confident support, and know what’s happening every step of the way. If you’re on the fence about whether to hire a doula for your labor and birth, CLEbaby offers complimentary consultations so that you can meet with a birth doula team. To schedule a consult, email us at hello@clebaby.com, or call us, 216.694.8266.