[vc_row][vc_column column_width_percent=”80″ gutter_size=”3″ back_color=”color-xsdn” overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ shadow=”std” shadow_darker=”yes”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ align_horizontal=”align_center” gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_custom_heading text_weight=”100″ text_space=”fontspace-210350″ separator=”yes” separator_color=”yes”]Why Hire a Virtual Doula?[/vc_custom_heading][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]Why hire a virtual doula? We are in an unprecedented time; experiencing a worldwide pandemic that changes by the day. This reality can bring a lot of emotions in all of us, perhaps with the most prominent emotion being anxiety. Now if you are a person who is pregnant during this time, the anxiety can be compounded by the various unknowns you have just come face to face with.
In a “normal” birth experience, a doula is a wonderful resource to help provide education, emotional support, and physical support to a woman prenatally, during labor/birth, and postpartum. This seems like a great resource to pair with the anxiety that is quickly rising in the group of pregnant people who are preparing for birth. However, with the current, rapidly-spreading virus affecting our community, people are finding themselves restricted in how many visitors can enter their birth space. Many hospitals have restricted visitors to one support person allowed during labor, and many fear that this policy will become more strict.
{As a side note, I want to say that It is ok to feel nervous, scared, angry, or discouraged. It is also ok to feel excited, joyful, energetic, or enamoured. We often experience multiple emotions at one time; that is part of the joy that makes us human. }
In any time of such change and daily shifting, we must ask ourselves: what can we do to manage this situation? We can look at what is in our control (one of my favorite sayings is: “control what you can”). In terms of preparing for an upcoming birth, you can prepare by obtaining childbirth education, identifying birth preferences, and hiring a virtual doula.
What is a virtual doula? A virtual doula is a person who provides emotional and educational support to you during the prenatal, labor/birth, and postpartum period. These services can include more extensive education on comfort measures, help identifying birth preferences, and providing resources to support you through the process. What you get with a virtual doula (as you do with a “regular” doula) is a point of contact that provides continuity of care throughout your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period. You are hiring someone to be a resource and source of support in whatever comes up for you during this time. While a virtual doula is not able to provide the physical, hands on support as an in-person doula, there are ways for you to be supported in receiving this support via prenatal preparations. These types of services are valuable and can be a source of relief from some of the anxieties of preparing and experiencing birth.
So if you are expecting during this time, it is ok to feel what you feel. It also may be helpful to look at what things are inside of your control, and what you can do to prepare for your birth in the situation we find ourselves in. If having additional education and emotional support during this time sounds appealing, consider reaching out to a doula offering virtual services to see if it is something that might be a good match for you.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=”714″ media_width_percent=”70″ alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]
April is a birth photographer and birth doula is the Pasadena/Glendale/Los Angeles area. Interested in birth services? Lets connect!
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