10/21/2022
There are assumptions that doulas dislike nurses and vice versa which just is not true at all. We are all on the same side, and to work well with anyone boundaries are a must! ~
“We prefer not to talk during contractions” This is a great phrase for birth partners who want to advocate. This sets the tone of going on the body’s time not the hospitals.
“I am happy where I am thank you!” or “they are comfortable where they are thank you though” for a birth partner. This is great when being asked to flip to your back for a check or whatever it is. Feel through the labor however works for you personally.
simply “I do not want to”. There can be times hospital staff truly feels they would the best decision for you, which is a kind thought, but no one should be pushing or trying to make a decision you are not comfortable with. Rather that’s position, next steps, or interventions.
When its getting obvious that they are putting the pressure on to do something you do not want at that time - epidurals, c-section, pitocin, etc- you most likely will not be able to change their mind with medical reasoning because most of us didnt go to school for 10+ years, BUT you can buy yourself time. When in doubt “we would like to revisit this in an hour”. If you say this and it is a true emergency you can trust 100% the doctor will let you know that its absolutely not an option for safety reasons, but for the most part it will buy you enough time to either get things moving how you would like to or make an informed decision.
