GRAND Magazine - September 2009 - (Page 28)

birthing “Mom, meet my doula” BFFs for the birthing By Jeanne Sager T he First time Lynette WaLters heard the word doula  was the day her daughter announced there would be one in the delivery room for the birth of Walters’ grandson. “When Jennifer said they were meeting with a doula in preparation for the birth of Douglas, I thought, ‘A birth coach—how yuppie,’” Walters admits. “I was to discover what a service and a blessing she was.” Walters isn’t the first grandmother to be pleasantly surprised by the work of a birth doula, who is a person trained to provide nonmedical physical, emotional and informational support to a mom before, during and just after childbirth. Today’s grands were lucky if, when they delivered their children, there was anyone in the delivery room helping them through labor. More often, boomers were alone or with their husbands, with doctors and nurses flitting in and out of the labor room. Today, a doula stays in the room with the mom-to-be for the duration of her delivery. Ami Burns, a certified doula in Chicago  explains some of her work: “We may suggest positions to help labor progress, encourage the mother during labor, help with comfort measures [breathing, relaxation, massage] and answer questions. A lot of moms are concerned that they may be rushed during labor or talked into interventions they don’t want.” Grands are concerned too—this isn’t 28 GRAND SEPTEMBER 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doula http://www.birthtalk.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - September 2009

GRAND Magazine - September 2009
Contents
GRAND Central
2009 GRANDparent of the Year Award
Water Babies
“Mom, Meet My Doula”
Legacy
Ask GRAND
Cruel Sleep
Resources
GRAND Finale

GRAND Magazine - September 2009