As a doula, I see metaphors for birth and parenting in a lot of everyday life, most recently I was struck by one when I was preparing to attend a one-day course in another part of Sydney….. I knew where I was going, I also knew that traffic and parking could be a real issue so I set about researching my transport options. Why? So that I could set off to the course feeling very confident and relaxed, knowing that I had options no matter what I encountered - which is just how I like my clients to feel when they work with me! 

So, how did my preparation relate to birth? Let’s break it down a little….

Know Your Destination

I had to know where I was headed -  everyone does before they begin a journey! 

I encourage my clients to think about this as part of our preparation together. I don’t mean the ‘destination’ of having a baby, but that of having a positive birth experience and really considering the elements of what a positive birth means for them. Understanding these elements ensures that they can communicate this to their care providers and support team and everyone can work together to preserve them, no matter how their labour unfolds. 

It is different for everyone but common elements could be to feel: informed, supported, unpressured, calm, loving, respected etc. So take some time and consider what is right for you.

Understand What is Important to You

Most people have something that really matters to them, for me on my way to the course I knew it would be my parking options. Anyone who knows me knows that parking is the first thing I ask about if we’re ever heading anywhere new ;)    

Is there something that is really important to you? Then communicate it to your care provider. Your support team want to help you, but you need to let them know the areas that really matter. It can be anything from a medical phobia, a dislike of feeling crowded, to a preference for certain language being used/not used. Anything!

Know What Options You Have to Navigate Your Journey, (Including Potential Issues!)

As I’ve said, most important to me on the day was parking - I researched a number of options, looked at where they were, how much they would cost, likely availability in each location etc. But there was more to it than that - what route would I take to get there? What about the morning rush hour traffic? Were there any catering options for the day? If not, what are the alternatives? What else would I need to get through the day? Like coffee access, stationery needed, business cards etc. There were definitely a few things to think about ;)

So what options might you consider for birth? Well, it can a pretty extensive list so it’s helpful to break it up a bit, I like to do this by location:

Home

• How will you labour at home?

• Is your home set up to support that?

• What else might you need to support yourself at home?

• What do you need to take to your place of birth?

• At what point will you go?

Place of Birth

• What will the space look like?

• How mobile can you be?

• What options for pain relief are there?

• Who will be with you?

• What to do if your labour begins in an unexpected way (eg, with your waters breaking or induction)?

• If it starts and stops?

• What if the medical team make additional recommendations on the day (such as extra monitoring, augmenting your labour, instrumental delivery)?

• What happens if your baby needs to go to Special Care or NICU?

• What are your preferences in the event of a caesarean birth?

Afterwards

• How long before you go home?

• What is your plan for support in your immediate postpartum?

In the end I had a lovely start to my day - I decided to go early, hope to grab one of the limited parking spots at the venue and walk to a local cafe for a coffee and breakfast. It was such a good decision because the parking spots had all gone 5 minutes after I got there and that brekkie kept me going all day allowing me to just chat to another attendee during the lunch break. 

Most importantly I set off on my journey without any concerns because I had a plan and options if that plan fell through. If you’d like to chat about any of the options that I’ve listed or would like more information on my Birth and/or Postnatal Packages then you can Contact Me directly or find More Information here.