Doulas + Planned Cesarean Births

It wasn’t until I was 6 months pregnant with our third child that I found out that having a doula present during a planned c-section was a thing.

I’m so glad I found out that it was a thing.

When I was pregnant with our middle child my husband and I had decided to have a homebirth. When my water broke at 26 weeks and our son was born 10 days later via emergency cesarean, we didn’t exactly have the experience we had hoped or planned for. When our 27 weeker turned 11 months old, we found out that we were pregnant with baby number 3. Our daughter.

Following the circumstances of my son’s delivery and after a lot of discussion between my husband and I and my medical team I decided to have a planned c-section for my daughter.

I had a lot of emotions surrounding this decision. Some of it was ambivalence about whether or not I made the “right” choice and some of it was feelings dredged up from my prior pregnancy and delivery. As I was discussing my planned c-section with one of the Pacific Northwest Doulas, she gently mentioned, “You know we can support you through this birth, right?”

And the tears started flowing.

No, I didn’t know that. I didn’t know that doulas attended planned cesareans until that moment. I didn’t know that even though my daughter’s birth was happening in a very controlled environment that a doula could be present for me.

4 reasons that I am so glad that I hired a doula for my planned cesarean:

1.      It helped my baby’s birth feel celebrated. When you have the opportunity to labor before a delivery there is a lot of anticipation as you don’t really know when your baby will arrive. That was an element I was afraid of missing, but having a doula there changed that. She made sure that I felt comforted, supported and special before and after my daughter was born.

2.      I found out that I CAN have a birth plan. Just because we knew when the baby was coming and how that didn’t necessarily mean that we couldn’t have a birth plan. My doula and I with my husband talked through the whole day beginning to end and made decisions about what would be happening before, during and after the c-section.

3.      I needed more emotional support than I had realized. You just never know how you’re going to feel in those moments leading up to birth. When I sat on that hospital bed, I found myself feeling emotional, nervous and scared. Having my doula there helped keep me calm and centered.

4.      My doula anticipated my needs. My doula was paying attention. When she saw that I was nervous, she kept me calm. When she saw me eyeing the numerous bottles, vials and medications on the room tray she talked through what each thing was for. When those items were being used, she talked me through the whole process.

Could I have done it without a doula?

Certainly. But it wouldn’t have been nearly the same experience. No matter how your baby enters this world each birth deserves to be celebrated. Having a doula during a planned cesarean is a wonderful way to do that.

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Written by Jill McLean- mom of 4, fitness guru, incredible doula, and all around amazing human