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June 12, 2023

Doula Micah Burgess on Enhancing the Hospital Birth Experience through Teamwork!

Doula Micah Burgess on Enhancing the Hospital Birth Experience through Teamwork!

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What if you could have a more positive and empowered childbirth experience with the help of a doula? Join me as I sit down with Micah Burgess, a mother of six, doula, and host of the My Doula Micah podcast. Together, we uncover the vital role of teamwork in the delivery room and how a doula can create a comforting atmosphere for mothers during labor and delivery.

Our insightful conversation explores the critical relationship between labor and delivery nurses and doulas, emphasizing the importance of comfort techniques and data points in ensuring a safe and positive birthing process. We also dive into the complexities of navigating medical interventions, sharing how a doula's support can facilitate informed decision-making between medical staff and patient.

Finally, we discuss the power of empowering women to make their own choices during childbirth, regardless of whether they opt for medical interventions like epidurals. Micah highlights the importance of leaving personal agendas at the door and focusing on the needs of the laboring mother to foster a memorable birth experience. Don't miss this eye-opening episode with Micah Burgess as we uncover the transformative impact doulas and labor nurses working as a cohesive team can have on the birthing experience.

To connect with Micah, visit www.mydoulamicah.com

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Medical Disclaimer:
This podcast is intended as a safe space for women to share their birth experiences. It is not intended to provide medical advice. Each woman’s medical course of action is individual and may not appropriately transfer to another similar situation. Please speak to your medical provider before making any medical decisions. Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that evidence based practice evolves as our knowledge of science improves. To the best of my ability I will attempt to present the most current ACOG and AWHONN recommendations at the time the podcast is recorded, but that may not necessarily reflect the best practices at the time the podcast is heard. Additionally, guests sharing their stories have the right to autonomy in their medical decisions, and may share their choice to go against current practice recommendations. I intend to hold space for people to share their decisions. I will attempt to share the current recommendations so that my audience is informed, but it is up to each individual to choose what is best for them.

Chapters

00:29 - Teamwork in the Delivery Room

11:23 - Doula in Labor and Delivery

16:38 - Navigating Medical Policies With a Doula

26:24 - Empowering Women's Choices in Childbirth

35:36 - Effective Communication in the Birthing Room

50:20 - Doula Mentorship and Appreciation

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:01.241 --> 00:00:04.427
Hello, today I have with me Micah Burgess.

00:00:04.427 --> 00:00:12.835
Micah is the mother of six, she is a doula in Waco, texas, and she is the host of the podcast My Doula Micah.

00:00:12.835 --> 00:00:16.905
Today she is here to talk about teamwork in the delivery room.

00:00:16.905 --> 00:00:20.170
Micah hello, thank you so much for joining me.

00:00:20.231 --> 00:00:20.832
Hey lady.

00:00:21.092 --> 00:00:21.734
Happy to talk.

00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:22.300
I'm so excited.

00:00:22.300 --> 00:00:24.809
We have talked about this collaboration for a while.

00:00:24.809 --> 00:00:26.765
I know It's fucking happening.

00:00:26.765 --> 00:00:38.636
I'm so excited We have a common goal and that is working together in the delivery room because we want moms to succeed at this birthing process, however it looks.

00:00:38.636 --> 00:00:58.743
But that requires a lot of teamwork and a lot of coming to the same page between the nurse, the hospital, the doula, the mother, the family member All of those people need to come together and set aside all of their stuff and work together to help the mom on this goal of birthing It's child.

00:00:58.743 --> 00:01:10.045
So, because you're a doula that comes in and helps guide what that support might look like, i'd love for you to elaborate on what the role of a doula is, because I don't think a lot of people know.

00:01:10.045 --> 00:01:12.350
I think people have assumptions they don't know.

00:01:13.781 --> 00:01:14.283
And also Kelly.

00:01:14.283 --> 00:01:21.766
You may not know this, but a lot of people still think that a doula and a midwife are the same thing.

00:01:21.766 --> 00:01:26.224
They don't know the difference, and so a midwife actually delivers your baby.

00:01:26.224 --> 00:01:32.865
If you hire a midwife, they would replace your obstetrician, but a doula is simply a chopper's labor.

00:01:32.865 --> 00:01:34.709
Coach Literally means servant.

00:01:34.709 --> 00:01:37.468
I don't do anything medical, i'm not going to deliver your baby.

00:01:37.468 --> 00:01:39.218
I don't want to deliver your baby.

00:01:39.218 --> 00:01:51.548
I have a job, and when people hire like a modern day doula would be someone that helps prepare a family prenatally about, maybe, what to expect.

00:01:51.709 --> 00:02:03.084
Typically, my main clientele would be women that are wanting to have a more natural childbirth experience, and so we go over a lot of what that looks like and what that means.

00:02:03.084 --> 00:02:10.126
A lot of people think that doulas only support home birds or birthing centers, and that's not true.

00:02:10.126 --> 00:02:32.759
I literally built a thriving career here in Waco, texas, and my specialty was natural hospital birds And it's very rewarding, very rewarding, and I think that there's a lot of different kinds of doulas, if I was going to be honest, which I didn't realize until I really got on Facebook and started getting to know other doulas and other Facebook groups, and so the approach is different.

00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:33.843
The thoughts are different.

00:02:33.843 --> 00:02:38.461
Some doulas really only want to go to home birds or birthing centers.

00:02:38.461 --> 00:02:41.533
They're not comfortable supporting a woman in the hospital.

00:02:41.533 --> 00:02:50.260
And then there are some doulas that are very adamant about having your baby a certain way, that there's a right way to do it.

00:02:50.842 --> 00:03:01.348
And I think what I have found, not only just in my career but also as a mom of six that at the end of the day, birth is birth.

00:03:01.348 --> 00:03:04.443
Yes, i have a goal maybe going in a birth plan.

00:03:04.443 --> 00:03:07.795
I want a birth experience a certain way, and that's great.

00:03:07.795 --> 00:03:22.092
But what I'm really learning is that having a positive birth experience is the most important thing And I, early in my career, realized I'm going to leave my agenda as a doula at the door.

00:03:22.092 --> 00:03:23.461
This isn't about me.

00:03:23.461 --> 00:03:32.424
This is about the laboring mama and what kind of experience she wants and needs at the end of the day.

00:03:32.424 --> 00:03:38.143
And there's a huge difference in delivering at home and delivering at the hospital.

00:03:38.143 --> 00:03:46.582
There's a really big difference And I think it's important for a family to understand the difference And I think it's important for a doula to understand the difference.

00:03:46.823 --> 00:03:53.389
So I talk a lot about that on my podcast, yes, and I listened to that and I loved it, and I loved your book.

00:03:53.389 --> 00:03:55.582
By the way, too, let's go ahead and plug your book.

00:03:55.582 --> 00:03:58.993
Yes, i was rolling, rolling with laughter.

00:03:58.993 --> 00:04:09.328
So I really I love that you're talking about putting the agenda at the door and really working together, because the hospital has policies that they abide by.

00:04:10.551 --> 00:04:15.987
A hospital birth is going to look a little bit more medical, or, if it's not medical, it's going to.

00:04:15.987 --> 00:04:28.108
We're going to offer you things that are medical, that are put in place to ensure safety is available in the context that the hospital understands safety, which is the medical context.

00:04:28.108 --> 00:04:31.802
So things like an IV port will probably be put in.

00:04:31.802 --> 00:04:33.007
You don't have to be hooked up to it.

00:04:33.007 --> 00:04:39.612
You may be offered fluids or medications through that IV, which can be declined if it is not medically necessary.

00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:58.401
There's, additionally, some other things that may be perceived as inconvenient, such as being hooked up to a monitor for certain periods of time so that we can ensure, in our medical way, the safety of the baby based on medical studies that are considered evidence based practice.

00:04:58.401 --> 00:05:04.625
Right, and I'm saying it in that way because we don't really do studies on natural birth.

00:05:04.625 --> 00:05:10.750
Right, we don't do randomized controlled trials on women laboring naturally Right.

00:05:10.750 --> 00:05:34.370
So the only thing that we know as a medical community is the way that the medical community has set things up, of course, and women have birthed babies for the since the beginning of time Yes, some successfully, some not so successfully And the goal of the medical community is to use science in the way that we understand it and have studied it, in order to improve outcomes, and sometimes we're successful.

00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:44.403
And, yes, the goal for the medical community is for there to be a safe delivery for both baby and mom.

00:05:44.403 --> 00:05:49.182
All of that came about, i mean, honestly, there's been doulas way before there were doctors.

00:05:49.182 --> 00:05:58.122
Oh, yeah, because I mean, when a woman went into labor before there were hospitals and doctors, i mean it was her friends and her neighbors that showed up Exactly To help her.

00:05:58.122 --> 00:06:05.370
Yeah, okay, so this is the idea of having a support person in the room, somebody that's going to help you physically.

00:06:05.370 --> 00:06:07.471
Let's find a good position mentally.

00:06:07.471 --> 00:06:10.654
Hey, you're doing so good This next contraction.

00:06:10.654 --> 00:06:12.637
Let's breathe through it together Emotionally.

00:06:12.637 --> 00:06:15.355
I know you're so tired and you're ready for this to be over.

00:06:15.355 --> 00:06:16.841
Come here, girl, let me give you a hug.

00:06:16.841 --> 00:06:39.230
I mean, that is essentially what I do in a lot of respects And because that element has been removed once the medical aspects hospitals, obs came into play, and I think one of the things I really try to do with my clients is educate them on especially what the role is of a labor and delivery nurse.

00:06:39.230 --> 00:06:51.009
Most people don't understand their job and what their role is And they're surprised that the nurse wasn't hanging out with them for hours And I'm like well, first of all, the amount.

00:06:51.009 --> 00:06:52.372
You can't even imagine.

00:06:52.372 --> 00:06:56.947
All of the paperwork, all of the things they're required to do.

00:06:56.947 --> 00:07:02.567
They have to, they have to fill out all of those things And, trust me, none of them want to.

00:07:02.567 --> 00:07:05.543
They would not prefer to hang out with you.

00:07:05.543 --> 00:07:17.572
Okay, i have lots of friends now that are L and D nurses that they'll come in and they're like, okay, i'm hiding out in here for a while And they literally sit down and prop up their feet and we talk and my clients are involved in the conversation.

00:07:17.572 --> 00:07:18.562
It's super laid back.

00:07:18.562 --> 00:07:23.228
I mean that they would love for every person to look that way, but it that's just not possible.

00:07:23.228 --> 00:07:27.182
They have more than one patient, more than likely, that they are taking care of.

00:07:27.182 --> 00:07:30.529
They answer to like three different entities.

00:07:30.529 --> 00:07:34.165
They answer to, first of all, they are the upholders of hospital policy.

00:07:34.165 --> 00:07:36.091
That's not even really the doctor's job.

00:07:36.091 --> 00:07:38.505
That is the labor and delivery nurses job.

00:07:38.505 --> 00:07:41.153
She also answers to the OB.

00:07:41.153 --> 00:07:47.233
The OB decides what's going to happen, what kind of cares, the nurse updates the OB.

00:07:47.233 --> 00:07:51.283
So the nurse is answering to them and answers to the patient.

00:07:51.283 --> 00:08:05.088
That's a lot, that's a lot of hats to be juggling, and so I just don't think people fully understand that role, and so, in my opinion, that's where it's really great to have a doula there.

00:08:05.850 --> 00:08:16.829
If you're wanting somebody that has been to births before that is going to try to help you accomplish maybe a more natural childbirth experience, you're mostly what women are looking for.

00:08:16.829 --> 00:08:24.651
They want to be calm, they want to feel in control, they want to know how to attack this contraction and how to breathe properly.

00:08:24.651 --> 00:08:32.830
They'd like to find the best position so that they're comfortable, but it's still working well for them to have consistent hard contractions.

00:08:32.830 --> 00:08:37.504
They want somebody to remind them that they're giving births and not dying.

00:08:37.504 --> 00:08:43.202
They want somebody to maybe advise them on okay, we could go this route or this route.

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What's the plan here?

00:08:44.125 --> 00:08:44.908
What's the great advice?

00:08:44.908 --> 00:09:11.350
And so I really want my clients to understand all the ins and outs of that And I prepare them for the things that they will be faced with, the decisions that they're going to be making upfront, so that they're not surprised when the labor and delivery nurse comes in and says, hey, we have not gotten a good read on baby with the monitors for about an hour now, and it's mostly just because you're up and about moving around.

00:09:11.913 --> 00:09:17.668
Hey, let's find a position where you're comfortable and I can still be hearing baby.

00:09:17.668 --> 00:09:28.376
We're getting closer and closer to delivery And we want to make sure baby's still doing well, and the truth is, the baby's heart rate is the best indicator if everything is okay or not.

00:09:28.376 --> 00:09:34.633
It just that's your best indicator, because we can't look inside there and really see.

00:09:34.633 --> 00:09:36.903
And so What should happen?

00:09:36.903 --> 00:09:43.587
what I want to see happen and what I've worked really hard in my community to have happen is I Want to work with that L&D nurse.

00:09:43.587 --> 00:09:45.076
Great, yes, let's do it.

00:09:45.076 --> 00:09:45.879
Let's find a good position.

00:09:45.879 --> 00:09:53.311
I will literally hold that monitor in place, if you want me to, so that you can walk out of the room and know We're gonna get a good read on baby.

00:09:53.311 --> 00:09:54.879
I want you to be able to get that.

00:09:54.879 --> 00:10:05.890
This is a benefit to my client and to your patient when you and I are Collaborating on the best way for you to get your job done.

00:10:05.931 --> 00:10:08.799
Listen, kelly, i want you to do your job well.

00:10:08.799 --> 00:10:40.710
I Want you to do your job well, and what I have found is that when I let you do your job Well, you let me do my job well, and what I have been trained in is Natural job, birth and comfort measures, and here's how we breathe through that and that's what I have been trained in, and so When you see that I am not standing in your way on doing your job, then you don't stand in my way and doing my job and what I have found is we don't run into each other, we don't trip over each other, we're helping each other.

00:10:40.710 --> 00:10:44.264
There's not Tension in the room, we're not combating.

00:10:44.264 --> 00:10:47.032
There is actually nothing to be fighting about.

00:10:47.032 --> 00:10:51.551
Anyway, you could tell I'm passionate about this topic, i know you are and so am I.

00:10:51.610 --> 00:10:54.740
You're just voicing all of my, my thoughts and feelings.

00:10:54.740 --> 00:11:01.947
I just think that it's a beautiful dance when a labored and delivery nurse and a doula can work together And I love those experiences 100.

00:11:01.947 --> 00:11:16.133
And I love that experience with the mother and you know, i honestly, because I can't be in there every second of the birthing process I need someone there that is going to help that mother get through it.

00:11:16.133 --> 00:11:18.105
Otherwise it's all kind of on her.

00:11:18.105 --> 00:11:23.940
I can, i can Put someone in a position that's comfortable for the moment.

00:11:23.940 --> 00:11:36.789
Yeah, but because you need to maintain a dynamic pelvis Sometimes, you know you need someone that's there constantly in order to make that happen, and I can try to teach the other support person what to do.

00:11:36.789 --> 00:11:41.532
But you know, everybody's kind of just learning right when this is all happening.

00:11:41.532 --> 00:11:55.505
So to have somebody there that understands all those comfort techniques that can change the atmosphere of the room to something That's calm, whether it's with the, the essential oils or the fairy lights, or you know I love coming into the rooms that are just like have this vibe right.

00:11:55.505 --> 00:12:01.308
Yeah, i also love someone that's there Helping to reposition the patient when it's appropriate.

00:12:01.328 --> 00:12:08.413
Yeah, and like you said, it is important to get those data points, which is for mothers in labor, at least in the early stages of labor.

00:12:08.413 --> 00:12:18.019
For the Most part, that's a 20-minute segment of what we call a reactive strip, which is moderate variability, and we'd, we'd love to have two accelerations in that baby's heart rate.

00:12:18.019 --> 00:12:29.375
So we want to see a nice wiggly heart rate and, like some, some jumps that tell us that that baby's neurological system is intact and Still that the baby is just, you know, rocking through this labor.

00:12:29.375 --> 00:12:38.019
And that's all we want, that's all I care about, is to be able to put that data point in the computer so that Everybody is reassured that everything is going well.

00:12:38.019 --> 00:12:56.419
Yeah, and then, honestly, sometimes the data point of having How we have progressed is somewhat helpful, yeah, however, yep, most of the time moms can tell us that Let's think it to that point where there's so much pressure, right, that we know a baby's gonna come out.

00:12:56.419 --> 00:12:57.663
Yep, you know exact.

00:12:57.663 --> 00:13:00.653
As long as the baby's safe, does it really matter, right?

00:13:01.114 --> 00:13:12.928
It's gonna come out at some point, exactly, exactly, and I think you know again, because I don't do anything medical, honestly, i'm glad it really does free me up to do my job.

00:13:12.928 --> 00:13:23.062
I am not watching the monitor, i don't have to, you are, i don't have to do that, thank goodness, you know, and so I'm.

00:13:23.062 --> 00:13:41.488
I'm glad because it really doesn't enable me to do what I am there to do, and what I really want is when a laboring mom is Calm and is successfully breathing through her contractions beautifully, she's not traumatized, she's not scared, she's progressing well.

00:13:41.488 --> 00:13:44.061
That benefits Everybody.

00:13:44.061 --> 00:13:46.567
I mean, that's one of the things that I'm.

00:13:46.628 --> 00:13:54.879
One of the OB's that I worked with here in town It was like, hey, micah, what you're doing for women makes my job easier, and so that's exactly what I want.

00:13:54.879 --> 00:14:14.340
I want to bridge the gap Yes, for my client between me and the medical team, because I want my client to know hey, we are all team, sarah, everyone in this room Wants you to have a positive birth experience, and I remember this one OB telling me we were having a conversation.

00:14:14.340 --> 00:14:17.419
I had gone to his clinic one day so we could actually have a conversation.

00:14:17.419 --> 00:14:21.299
It's hard to have a conversation with an OB in the labor and delivery room.

00:14:21.299 --> 00:14:33.559
He's yeah, right, and so he and I were having a conversation in his clinic and he was like listen, i don't care how she wants to have her baby, i'm not trying to mess with her birth, i don't care how she wants to do it.

00:14:33.559 --> 00:14:41.184
I just want to make sure that I'm being able to check the boxes and that I'm overseeing and watching.

00:14:41.284 --> 00:14:59.952
Because What I learned is that if, if the you know emergency door is at a 10, like we're knocking on the door, if we got to get this bomb into a C-section right now or we're gonna lose baby Nobody, including me, we don't want to get anywhere near that door, we're not, i don't want to get to attend.

00:14:59.952 --> 00:15:12.414
And so, typically an OB, maybe if we're getting to a three or five, it's gonna start talking and mentioning Hey, i'm noticing something or I'm concerned, potentially, about something.

00:15:12.414 --> 00:15:32.259
An OB might be communicating some thoughts, some concerns, some wishes to be considering, and I think They communicate that in plenty of time to help maybe the mom get adjusted to the fact that maybe we might have to Do an intervention here, and so we want to have that conversation sooner rather than later.

00:15:32.259 --> 00:15:52.520
So what I learned is okay, they're not saying you're done, but the panic I think, oftentimes with a mom or even a doula, because it was even brought up Yeah, have this feeling that, wait, you're trying to stop me from getting what I want, and that what I have found is that that's actually not What's happening.

00:15:52.520 --> 00:16:10.320
It's it's a conversation, and so I've learned how to Put some strategies in place in the birthing room so that there can be a conversation, so that I can hear what he's trying to say, what he's concerned about, and so I teach my clients how to ask good questions.

00:16:10.945 --> 00:16:12.840
Oh, wow, okay, you're concerned about that.

00:16:12.840 --> 00:16:16.244
So, wait, are we in an emergency situation right now?

00:16:16.244 --> 00:16:19.453
And he's like no, no, there's not an emergency.

00:16:19.453 --> 00:16:20.268
Okay, great, good.

00:16:20.268 --> 00:16:23.073
What happens if we don't do what you're saying right now?

00:16:23.073 --> 00:16:26.094
Well, nothing's gonna like happen if you don't do it.

00:16:26.094 --> 00:16:30.176
I just want us to be sinking along those lines Okay, great, perfect.

00:16:30.176 --> 00:16:34.250
Thank you for telling us that We don't wanna get to that point either.

00:16:34.764 --> 00:16:37.394
Are we cool to still keep doing what we're doing?

00:16:37.394 --> 00:16:40.293
Yeah, y'all can do it as long as mom and baby are fine.

00:16:40.293 --> 00:16:42.172
Y'all can do this as long as you want, perfect.

00:16:42.172 --> 00:16:49.168
So those questions and that cooperation, acknowledging what's been said agreeing.

00:16:49.168 --> 00:16:53.533
We don't wanna be an emergency that communicates to the medical staff.

00:16:53.533 --> 00:16:56.673
I'm not trying to knock on emergency door either.

00:16:56.673 --> 00:17:03.028
I'm not gonna ignore if there needs to be a medical intervention and I'm not leading my client in that way either.

00:17:03.028 --> 00:17:10.489
So then that brings a relief and a reassurance to the medical staff that I'm not there trying to mess with their job.

00:17:10.489 --> 00:17:13.459
Right, they're not trying to mess with my client's birth.

00:17:13.459 --> 00:17:16.232
They're happy with me doing what I'm doing.

00:17:16.232 --> 00:17:18.653
So now we're establishing this trust.

00:17:18.653 --> 00:17:22.494
Now the next time I come in I'm trusted a lot more.

00:17:22.944 --> 00:17:32.276
Then, after I've been there for a year and they know I'm not cutting the knees off of these OBs and say don't be a doctor ourselves.

00:17:32.276 --> 00:17:34.633
I mean, i am not the medical provider.

00:17:34.633 --> 00:17:39.974
I'm actually not gonna say that I am going to give my client all of the options.

00:17:39.974 --> 00:17:44.510
I am gonna let them know what all their options are so that we can have that discussion.

00:17:44.510 --> 00:17:48.635
But I'm not there to try to change hospital policy.

00:17:48.635 --> 00:17:54.013
I think if you're a doula, and that is what you're trying to do, you're in the wrong line of work.

00:17:54.013 --> 00:18:02.690
There is a spot for you somewhere if that's what you're passionate about, but at the end of the day it's not helping the client that you're working with right now.

00:18:02.690 --> 00:18:08.291
Yeah, if your goal is to try to change hospital policy, are there some things that need to be changed?

00:18:08.291 --> 00:18:10.672
I probably yeah.

00:18:10.672 --> 00:18:20.593
As a person who's more natural childbirth friendly, yeah, i would love to see some things updated or changed, for sure, but that's not why this mama hired me.

00:18:20.874 --> 00:18:22.587
Right, yeah, and there's my.

00:18:22.587 --> 00:18:40.851
I work at a couple different hospitals and I have worked at other hospitals and I've noticed that the policies are slightly different in every single one And there are things that I wish that I could do at certain hospitals, but it just doesn't work with the workflow And the thing that I have come to understand is that nothing stays the same.

00:18:40.851 --> 00:19:02.295
So if I don't like something, i just kind of decide I'm gonna wait a minute, might mention it, i might mention it a couple more times, i might just keep talking about it And eventually I found especially if it's something that is evidence-based practice or if it's something that is being researched, they're starting to compile good data on it, i might start mentioning it.

00:19:02.295 --> 00:19:09.797
But it does take a while for things to change in a medical setting because you have to have a lot of good data.

00:19:09.797 --> 00:19:14.765
There's not a whole lot of experimentation that happens at the bedside, right, right, right.

00:19:14.765 --> 00:19:34.990
So if you have a tiny little research trial in one area of the world that's a small population and there is data that suggests that one of these interventions might have an outcome that you are not interested in, i'm not gonna say bad outcome, because bad for one person may be fine for the other.

00:19:35.444 --> 00:19:42.214
If that's what we're looking at, probably in the hospital, it's not gonna be something that is going to be a policy.

00:19:42.214 --> 00:19:47.051
We're gonna go with the bigger trials, all the information compiled together.

00:19:47.051 --> 00:19:51.231
It may not be that way forever, but that's how it is for right now.

00:19:51.231 --> 00:19:52.606
There are things.

00:19:52.606 --> 00:20:14.516
You can decline, certain things And, depending on what that thing is that you're declining, you're either gonna get very little pushback or you may get a lot of pushback, and it has a lot to do with, without mentioning certain specific interventions, it has a lot to do with, again, how much data is involved.

00:20:14.765 --> 00:20:36.451
So I think it's really important to have that conversation when we walk in, because if I am admitting a patient and I'm lucky enough to have the doula there when I'm admitting the patient because oh, my goodness, that's awesome We can all talk at that beginning in time and not necessarily later on when we're five centimeters and really working through things.

00:20:36.451 --> 00:20:51.833
I love to have that conversation ahead of time because then, for instance, if somebody says, oh, i don't want vitamin K, because there was this study of 200 people in Switzerland that had later in life, at age 40, all the babies that had vitamin K had cancer.

00:20:51.833 --> 00:20:53.711
Let's have a conversation about that.

00:20:53.711 --> 00:21:08.728
One trial because I'd like to talk about babies that didn't have vitamin K in Tennessee had a huge incidence of brain bleeds in a six-month period when there was this trend of declining the vitamin K, and it's all.

00:21:08.728 --> 00:21:12.386
I feel like in this world there are no facts Like what is a?

00:21:12.448 --> 00:21:14.428
fact, actually Everything's fluid.

00:21:14.428 --> 00:21:15.593
It's evidence.

00:21:15.593 --> 00:21:21.891
You may present the evidence to me and I may present the evidence to you and I'm gonna talk about my concerns and you're gonna talk about your concerns.

00:21:21.891 --> 00:21:33.112
And if the hospital policy says something, for instance that I have to have a waiver, for you to decline this medication boy, i'd really prefer to do it at the beginning.

00:21:33.244 --> 00:21:53.612
So, for instance, back to vitamin K, because it is a medication that is recommended at most hospitals by most Nick users special care, nurseries or whatever you have at the hospital you're gonna probably need to decline in writing and also may need to have a conversation with the neonatal provider because we have to have that medication in within an hour.

00:21:53.612 --> 00:22:00.575
it's so much better when you do that before you give birth rather than waiting and having that conversation later.

00:22:00.575 --> 00:22:08.290
Now, if you come in and you're 10 centimeters right, sure, sure We're not gonna have that conversation right now, but I've had that conversation.

00:22:08.290 --> 00:22:12.348
unfortunately, even though I've had full conversations and read somebody's birth plan.

00:22:12.348 --> 00:22:23.872
I have had situations where I am hanging blood on a mom who is passing out and the last thing she says to me before passing out is I am declining the vitamin K And I'm like whoa, that's not what I wanted to hear.

00:22:24.153 --> 00:22:24.734
Yeah yeah.

00:22:25.105 --> 00:22:50.295
So you know it's like it's hard because we come from a place where we've seen those kinds of things and it's triggering as providers, and so we really, really try to, we try to work with you and we try to work with your desires, because I want you to have the beautiful, perfect birth that you want, but that involves having a healthy mom and a healthy baby.

00:22:50.295 --> 00:22:58.493
I really don't think anybody comes in desiring the birth process to be better than the birth outcome.

00:22:58.684 --> 00:23:10.133
I think many, many, many women would like for the birth process to be just as successful as the outcome, which is a healthy baby right.

00:23:10.133 --> 00:23:13.433
And we really, you know we're women.

00:23:13.433 --> 00:23:15.592
I want what I want you know what I'm saying?

00:23:15.612 --> 00:23:20.712
Yes, I get that, i get that, and so let's shoot for that, why not?

00:23:20.712 --> 00:23:23.071
Let's try to check all the boxes.

00:23:23.071 --> 00:23:24.911
You know, i'm certainly not opposed to that.

00:23:24.911 --> 00:23:26.893
I want you to have the experience that you want to have.

00:23:26.893 --> 00:23:30.607
I will say this as a doula, you know a lot of my training.

00:23:30.828 --> 00:23:35.233
I did go to a lot of homebirds, but my career was primarily in the hospital.

00:23:35.233 --> 00:23:37.413
I really felt like that ended up being my calling.

00:23:37.413 --> 00:23:38.971
Women really need help.

00:23:38.971 --> 00:23:43.010
If you want to have a natural birth in a hospital, that's hard, you know.

00:23:43.010 --> 00:23:52.672
It's a totally different bird than if you're at home, and my approach as a doula is completely different at a home birth than at a hospital.

00:23:52.672 --> 00:24:00.615
And so I guess what I would say is you know a lot of my clients who are having their babies in a hospital.

00:24:00.615 --> 00:24:11.557
They want a more natural experience, and the plan is to deny just about everything, and it's not even that the L&D nurse kept bugging them about it.

00:24:11.557 --> 00:24:22.151
It's that because of the challenges, because of the things we're working around, because I've been stuck in a hospital room for 18 hours, i'm done you know what.

00:24:22.171 --> 00:24:37.671
I'm saying And that is totally fine, and I feel like a huge part of my job as well is to I want to empower my clients that their choice, no matter what their choice is Is there power to choose?

00:24:37.671 --> 00:24:38.173
It is.

00:24:38.173 --> 00:24:48.469
If there are power to choose, after 24 hours stuck at 4 centimeters, no sleep and no food, to go ahead and have the epidural.

00:24:48.469 --> 00:24:55.252
I'm going to celebrate her choice and say, heck, yeah, you need to sleep because you're still going to push a baby out.

00:24:55.252 --> 00:24:56.650
Let's avoid a C-section.

00:24:56.650 --> 00:24:58.329
I think this is the right move.

00:24:58.329 --> 00:24:59.093
Do you understand?

00:24:59.093 --> 00:25:02.250
So what happens at the babies here and now?

00:25:02.250 --> 00:25:06.578
she feels good about her choice and not guilty about her choice.

00:25:06.578 --> 00:25:07.854
That's helping nobody, y'all.

00:25:07.854 --> 00:25:10.107
That's helping nobody.

00:25:10.107 --> 00:25:17.548
To make a mom feel guilty or not encourage her to embrace the choice that she made.

00:25:17.548 --> 00:25:22.147
It's fine, it's okay, it can be good.

00:25:24.385 --> 00:25:32.315
And I am personally not one of these people that, hey, as soon as you walk in the door, hit me up with the epidural and everything seems to be going fine.

00:25:32.315 --> 00:25:34.553
I don't want people to do that.

00:25:34.553 --> 00:25:36.951
I mean that's a strong medication, it is.

00:25:36.951 --> 00:25:39.470
But the fetal in your back, i mean that's a big deal.

00:25:39.470 --> 00:25:42.114
I mean, let's think about that a little bit longer.

00:25:42.114 --> 00:25:46.394
That just happens to be my bit, that just happens to be my preference and what I think works.

00:25:46.394 --> 00:25:55.009
That doesn't mean if a mom ends up getting an epidural, who originally wanted to go all natural, it doesn't mean she failed, doesn't mean she's not strong.

00:25:55.009 --> 00:25:56.470
It just doesn't mean any of that.

00:25:56.470 --> 00:26:06.213
And so I really want my clients, at the end of the day, to always feel like, when they look back at their birth, i'm so thankful for my birth.

00:26:06.213 --> 00:26:08.770
It was hard as hell, no doubt about it.

00:26:08.770 --> 00:26:10.449
I can't make that part go away, y'all.

00:26:10.449 --> 00:26:11.652
I'm not a magician.

00:26:11.731 --> 00:26:18.477
It's going to be hard, it's going to be hard, but it can be inspiring and monumental and good.

00:26:18.477 --> 00:26:28.195
It can be a good, positive experience, even though it was hard And even if you went with plan B and sometimes you guys, plan B is better than plan.

00:26:28.457 --> 00:26:28.576
A.

00:26:28.876 --> 00:26:34.135
And that would be my encouragement to any doulas that are listening right now.

00:26:34.135 --> 00:26:41.049
Yes, we have an idea and we know what our training is and we want to help promote a more natural experience.

00:26:41.049 --> 00:26:44.213
Yay, yes and amen all for all of that.

00:26:44.213 --> 00:27:04.588
But at the end of the day, when you look at this mama and she is absolutely 100% mentally, emotionally done her body's gone through the ringer is your choice going to be what you think is best or is your choice going to be to support her and now what she needs to get through the birth?

00:27:04.588 --> 00:27:06.548
What is your choice going to be?

00:27:06.548 --> 00:27:15.749
And I would say that the birthing experience it goes with a mom for a very long time forever actually.

00:27:15.749 --> 00:27:27.256
And even if everything didn't go exactly the way she wanted it to, we still want every woman to look back and go yeah, but you know what it was good.

00:27:27.256 --> 00:27:30.113
I don't regret this or that.

00:27:30.545 --> 00:27:43.608
Now, if you're someone who has not been informed and you feel like you walked in and you didn't know all the things, that you feel like you should have known and you would have chosen differently, okay, that's one thing, and maybe you felt that way.

00:27:43.608 --> 00:27:50.369
Maybe there is a doctor in your area that is known for high C section rates and kind of bullies his way through.

00:27:50.369 --> 00:27:58.333
Okay, maybe you do have one of those, but I'm just saying in my experience that's not the standard care.

00:27:58.333 --> 00:27:59.750
That's not the standard.

00:27:59.750 --> 00:28:11.570
There is protocol and what is just hey, this is how we normally practice things, and unless you are someone coming in saying, actually, i'd like to do it a little bit different, then you're going to get standard procedure.

00:28:12.527 --> 00:28:14.093
Yeah, exactly, that is so true.

00:28:14.093 --> 00:28:22.553
And then I think that kind of piggybacking on that the trauma comes from, when you feel like you've failed because you chose plan B.

00:28:22.553 --> 00:28:28.236
So it's not that you went with plan B, it's because you feel like that's a failure.

00:28:28.236 --> 00:28:34.724
And then your brain does things to make it feel like a trauma And I just don't think it's necessary.

00:28:34.724 --> 00:28:39.715
And I may have my own opinions about what interventions would be best for the mom.

00:28:40.644 --> 00:28:55.692
I don't feel like I have an agenda, but when I feel like something that we're offering is going to improve the outcome, i feel like I start to have some feelings there, because I want a healthy mom and a healthy baby too.

00:28:55.692 --> 00:29:15.546
And what is frustrating is when I perceive that the pushback is coming from the fact that, because this was my plan, i don't want to do that, and I have a hard time sometimes impressing on people that that wasn't my first choice either.

00:29:15.546 --> 00:29:23.076
But here we are, and so how are we going to deal with the current situation?

00:29:23.076 --> 00:29:32.013
Do we want to continue the way we had planned, or do we want to maybe modify that plan a little bit to possibly ensure a better outcome?

00:29:33.025 --> 00:30:19.270
And I'm not sure how you, kelly, personally, proceed or what your hospital, the ones that you work with, how you all proceed in this, But some of my favorite nurses when it looks like things are about to shift and that the patient is not going to end up following the birth plan to the letter of the law okay And that it looks like there might need to be an intervention in some way, shape or form, some of the best nurses and again, if you're an LD nurse and you're listening to me, i'm going to suggest that when you have the conversation, remember this is a woman that is having one of the most monumental experiences she'll ever have in her entire life And she wants it to be perfect.

00:30:19.270 --> 00:30:22.692
She wants it to go the way she wants it to go.

00:30:22.692 --> 00:30:34.916
And so when a labor and delivery nurse acknowledges hey, listen, sarah, i know what you wanted was this, this and this, and you have done such a good job to try to achieve that.

00:30:34.916 --> 00:30:43.537
I am so impressed by you And, man, if this over here wasn't happening, you would absolutely be able to have what you want.

00:30:43.537 --> 00:30:48.368
I want you to have that, but I care about you, i care about your baby.

00:30:48.368 --> 00:30:55.230
I want you to hear a couple of things that I want that I'm going to say Here's a couple of options And let's talk about these.

00:30:55.230 --> 00:30:57.672
Ask me the questions that you want to ask me.

00:30:57.672 --> 00:30:59.089
Tell me what your concerns are.

00:30:59.089 --> 00:31:04.916
I'm only bringing it up because I think it might be what's best for you and baby.

00:31:04.916 --> 00:31:07.169
I want you to get what you want.

00:31:07.169 --> 00:31:19.273
Trust me, you know what I'm saying And I think when a labor and delivery nurse now relates to that mama and communicates, i know how badly you wanted this.

00:31:19.605 --> 00:31:20.549
I want it too.

00:31:20.549 --> 00:31:24.315
However, let's have an adult conversation.

00:31:24.315 --> 00:31:28.796
Let me share with you some thoughts and give me the pushback, give me the concerns.

00:31:28.796 --> 00:31:29.729
Tell me what you're thinking.

00:31:29.729 --> 00:31:31.769
Let's get to this decision together.

00:31:31.769 --> 00:31:52.657
Right Now she feels like and knows you are on her team, you are for her, and, as a doula, when that conversation comes up, i'm like, yes, kelly, tell us what are the options, what are the concerns, and then it definitely relieves that mama and feeling like she's going to have to fight for something.

00:31:53.057 --> 00:32:06.491
No, no, no, we're just going to have a conversation about these options, and I have found more times than not that once that conversation has been had, the mom will tend to man.

00:32:06.491 --> 00:32:17.233
It's not 100%, i'm sure it's not, but it is a very high percentage She will say, yeah, that does make a lot of sense And I want what's best for me and baby.

00:32:17.233 --> 00:32:24.032
I'm not willing to take that risk that you're talking about And let's move forward because we can still work with that.

00:32:24.032 --> 00:32:25.409
This isn't the end of the day.

00:32:25.409 --> 00:32:27.691
This doesn't break everything.

00:32:27.691 --> 00:32:38.429
I can still have what I want in this birthing experience inviting and initiating something that maybe I wasn't thinking before.

00:32:38.429 --> 00:32:40.933
You know, women are relational.

00:32:40.933 --> 00:32:43.597
We want to talk, We want to listen, we want to communicate.

00:32:43.617 --> 00:32:51.849
Yeah, i feel like to work as a human being which I will acknowledge that I am And then I have feelings.

00:32:51.849 --> 00:33:07.818
I feel like when I walk into a room and I feel like there's a vibe that's kind of closed and decisions have already been made and we're going to be defensive, there are times that I have a hard time kind of getting through.

00:33:07.818 --> 00:33:14.400
Yeah, i've been successful before, but as everybody is different, it sometimes is challenging for me.

00:33:14.400 --> 00:33:23.118
Yeah, what are some of your suggestions when you have an environment where you walk in and the air is just thick with defensiveness?

00:33:23.611 --> 00:33:26.037
Yeah, and that's something I really try.

00:33:26.037 --> 00:33:27.579
I mean I try to avoid.

00:33:27.579 --> 00:33:38.682
Yeah, i mean, the very thing I do when I walk into the birthing room is, especially if it's been a long time since I was a new doula in a place.

00:33:38.682 --> 00:33:40.796
I mean, i'm very well known in my community.

00:33:40.796 --> 00:33:51.113
Everybody knows who I am And just so you all know the result of what I'm about to encourage you guys to do the result of that has been.

00:33:51.173 --> 00:33:54.419
When I walked in, i am greeted by the L&D nurse.

00:33:54.419 --> 00:33:55.681
Hey, i'm so glad you're here.

00:33:55.681 --> 00:33:58.609
Here's what's happening, here's where she's at.

00:33:58.609 --> 00:33:59.594
What do you want to do, Micah?

00:33:59.594 --> 00:34:01.769
What are your thoughts?

00:34:01.769 --> 00:34:02.502
That's what it's given me.

00:34:02.502 --> 00:34:04.276
That's what it's given to my clients.

00:34:04.276 --> 00:34:07.613
That is the benefit I'm being asked.

00:34:07.613 --> 00:34:09.938
What do you think?

00:34:09.938 --> 00:34:10.681
What do you want to do?

00:34:10.681 --> 00:34:22.918
They pretty much let my client and I do our thing And as long as baby looks good, they don't really care what we do, because they know I'm not trying to jeopardize care.

00:34:22.918 --> 00:34:33.753
They know that I'm not doing that And so, coincidentally, my client pretty much gets what she wants, because there's no listen dress intention.

00:34:33.753 --> 00:34:35.577
That is not going to help your client.

00:34:35.577 --> 00:34:38.597
That is counterproductive in labor.

00:34:38.597 --> 00:34:41.177
It's not a good fit.

00:34:41.177 --> 00:34:52.081
So, as a new do-ler, as someone who is trying to establish themselves, trying to work together and establish this teamwork, the first thing I do is introduce myself to the L&D nurse.

00:34:52.081 --> 00:34:54.958
I am not going to dodge her.

00:34:54.958 --> 00:34:58.179
I want there to be communication right up front.

00:34:58.179 --> 00:35:01.099
Hey, kali, i'm Micah.

00:35:01.099 --> 00:35:02.713
It is so great to be working with you.

00:35:02.713 --> 00:35:04.036
How's she doing?

00:35:04.036 --> 00:35:05.400
What do you think?

00:35:05.400 --> 00:35:06.382
Are we on track?

00:35:06.382 --> 00:35:07.394
How's baby look?

00:35:07.394 --> 00:35:11.541
I want you to know that I welcome the conversation.

00:35:11.541 --> 00:35:21.054
We need to be a part of this process together And I teach my clients how to ask the questions themselves because at the end of the day, they are the patient.

00:35:21.054 --> 00:35:23.737
They are the only ones that can choose for themselves.

00:35:23.737 --> 00:35:25.193
It has to come from them.

00:35:25.193 --> 00:35:32.115
If they're married and their spouse is in there and their husband has an opinion and a thought, it actually doesn't even matter what he says.

00:35:32.115 --> 00:35:33.280
He's not the patient.

00:35:33.280 --> 00:35:35.677
It has to come from the patient.

00:35:35.677 --> 00:35:45.195
So we've got to teach women how to communicate and how to effectively ask questions so that there can be a conversation.

00:35:45.195 --> 00:36:00.878
So I think that's personally what works best And I think that if there is a room that is thick with tension, then, as a medical provider, when you try to have that conversation, introduce yourself.

00:36:00.878 --> 00:36:02.661
Hey, i'm so glad that you're here.

00:36:02.661 --> 00:36:05.115
Let me know if there's anything that you guys need.

00:36:05.115 --> 00:36:06.219
Mama looks great.

00:36:06.219 --> 00:36:10.159
I feel really positive about her being able to achieve her goals.

00:36:10.159 --> 00:36:11.913
Let me know what I can do.

00:36:11.913 --> 00:36:15.375
Help set that tone right away.

00:36:15.375 --> 00:36:17.179
Even though it feels thick with tension.

00:36:17.179 --> 00:36:20.396
You'll be surprised how that can help bring it down.

00:36:21.409 --> 00:36:27.182
One really small thing that I would do is I didn't ever buzz for a nurse unless there was an emergency.

00:36:27.182 --> 00:36:28.856
Look, i got legs.

00:36:28.856 --> 00:36:40.597
I walked myself out there to the nurse's station and say, hey, when you get a chance no big rush, we're looking for a couple of extra pillows Or she's got ice and water.

00:36:40.597 --> 00:36:41.733
Is that something I can grab?

00:36:41.733 --> 00:36:43.251
You know?

00:36:43.251 --> 00:36:45.536
hey, whenever you get a chance, i think she's.

00:36:45.536 --> 00:36:47.481
You know she's needing to go to the restroom.

00:36:47.481 --> 00:36:53.222
I mean, now they trust me enough to unplug her and walk to the bathroom with her and plug her back up.

00:36:53.222 --> 00:37:00.489
I mean, now they trust me to do that, but before I would communicate hey, she's going to run to the restroom real quick, or?

00:37:00.489 --> 00:37:03.123
y'all cool if I unplug her real quick and then we'll get.

00:37:03.123 --> 00:37:04.550
We'll get back where we need to be.

00:37:04.550 --> 00:37:07.976
Just talk, just communicate, you know.

00:37:07.976 --> 00:37:12.697
And same thing for the LD nurse Hey, let us know whatever she's thinking.

00:37:13.331 --> 00:37:19.978
I think volunteering things up front that maybe they think they might have to fight for would be super helpful.

00:37:19.978 --> 00:37:22.518
Hey, if you want to get in the shower, let me know.

00:37:22.518 --> 00:37:26.239
I'll wrap up that IV port and the water is an amazing thing.

00:37:26.239 --> 00:37:29.858
Wait, what You just suggested, a shower right at the beginning.

00:37:29.858 --> 00:37:30.713
That's awesome.

00:37:30.713 --> 00:37:32.873
It lets them know we've got.

00:37:32.873 --> 00:37:34.878
We've got some things we can work with here.

00:37:34.878 --> 00:37:37.596
I'm all for your comfort measures.

00:37:37.596 --> 00:37:38.398
You know what I mean.

00:37:38.398 --> 00:37:46.914
I think volunteering those things up front are very, very loud to Adula and a woman who wants a natural birth.

00:37:47.034 --> 00:37:53.233
Yeah, and if it's a natural birth, like as in, we don't have to medicate anybody because there's no reason to do an induction.

00:37:53.233 --> 00:37:55.110
right, right, those.

00:37:55.110 --> 00:37:55.271
usually.

00:37:55.271 --> 00:38:01.280
we have so many options, like we could even be off the monitor for 40 minutes every hour, which is wonderful.

00:38:01.782 --> 00:38:02.163
Wonderful.

00:38:02.490 --> 00:38:06.239
At that point I'm just like go live your life, you know, do all the things you need to do.

00:38:06.239 --> 00:38:09.349
But if we don't, then yes, absolutely We.

00:38:09.349 --> 00:38:16.952
We're going to, we're going to do whatever works to be comfortable, but if we're on some of those medications that require constant monitoring, that gets a little hairy.

00:38:16.952 --> 00:38:21.735
We do have the portable monitors, yeah, and sometimes they don't work as well.

00:38:22.110 --> 00:38:24.211
So sometimes they work well Sometimes.

00:38:24.211 --> 00:38:45.436
I mean, in my opinion, this is where Adula's training comes into play, and this is something that I actually teach in my mentorship program, and all the do list that I've mentored is look, you need to be really good at your job and know how to work with monitors and being hooked up, because there's definitely a way to work with monitors And you need to help.

00:38:45.436 --> 00:38:52.699
I mean, if that is the case and they're on medication and they're going to need constant monitoring, you need to shift your perspective.

00:38:52.699 --> 00:38:58.050
As Adula, we are now on plan B, right, it is not.

00:38:58.050 --> 00:39:00.838
It is no longer an all natural bird.

00:39:00.838 --> 00:39:01.519
That's fine.

00:39:01.519 --> 00:39:02.791
Now we're on plan B.

00:39:03.391 --> 00:39:07.880
What are the best ways for me to help my client get comfortable on these monitors?

00:39:07.880 --> 00:39:16.737
Yeah, and you need to know how to do that and do it well, and there are many options, and so do those things, use them.

00:39:16.737 --> 00:39:23.420
You know it's not a wha, wha, it's not a moment and you don't do anything now because you feel thrown off your game.

00:39:23.420 --> 00:39:25.612
That's not going to help your client at all.

00:39:25.873 --> 00:39:28.980
Nope, go to work, get to work Yeah.

00:39:30.690 --> 00:39:34.239
Another thing that I think is really important I like to hear from my patient.

00:39:34.239 --> 00:39:47.570
I like to hear what my patient wants, And I've had situations and this is kind of goes toward like what you're talking about with the dad answering the questions and the that kind of thing, Like whoever's in the room.

00:39:47.570 --> 00:40:08.240
I can also tell when the mom has had a conversation with me at another moment before anybody else was in the room and said that she's good with all these things And we've talked about if maybe something on her birth plan wasn't part of hospital policy, what are our other options, and we've all come to the same page.

00:40:08.240 --> 00:40:24.518
But then other people come into the room and maybe start throwing out their opinions strongly enough that the vibe is mom kind of just does this nodding, and that situation where you're kind of like I'm not fully believing that this is what you want.

00:40:24.639 --> 00:40:28.677
But it's just real things are getting weird.

00:40:28.677 --> 00:40:35.061
I think that probably my weakness is navigating that situation.

00:40:35.561 --> 00:40:44.983
Yeah, totally, and my answer, first and foremost, is hey, there is a way to avoid all of that.

00:40:44.983 --> 00:40:46.954
I mentioned this just a second ago.

00:40:46.954 --> 00:40:48.400
In my mentorship program.

00:40:48.400 --> 00:41:03.041
I am teaching doulas the three very strategic things that I did intentionally so that my clients could have the best natural hospital birth that they possibly could.

00:41:03.041 --> 00:41:21.442
I did three very strategic things, and one of the things is what we're talking about right now, and the other one is it's all about your mindset and the preparation before you go in And coming in with your dukes up already is actually counterproductive.

00:41:22.322 --> 00:41:22.983
It doesn't work.

00:41:22.983 --> 00:41:26.398
The doulas in my area years ago that had that approach.

00:41:26.398 --> 00:41:27.702
They're no longer around.

00:41:27.702 --> 00:41:33.894
They got so frustrated with the system that they're not doing what they love anymore and they're helping no one.

00:41:33.894 --> 00:41:36.702
I guess that's what I would say.

00:41:36.702 --> 00:41:43.574
Is, you know, it may not be going down exactly the way that I would want my personal birth to go.

00:41:43.574 --> 00:41:44.760
So what?

00:41:44.760 --> 00:41:47.244
And it may not be.

00:41:47.244 --> 00:41:55.494
You know, maybe this mom has fantasized about a home birth in her backyard, delivering by the creek.

00:41:55.494 --> 00:42:01.391
Okay, that's a beautiful thought, a beautiful moment, that can be a beautiful birth, but that is not what you chose.

00:42:02.260 --> 00:42:09.980
We're here in the hospital now, so we got to lay that one to the side and let's try to have the best experience that we can have here.

00:42:09.980 --> 00:42:16.416
Let's do it unmedicated, let's do it without interventions, absolutely 100%.

00:42:16.416 --> 00:42:17.418
We got a few things.

00:42:17.418 --> 00:42:17.980
We got to navigate around.

00:42:17.980 --> 00:42:20.306
I don't have a creek, but I got a shower.

00:42:20.306 --> 00:42:25.980
Yeah, you know, you can't walk around, you know around the block or put your feet in the grass.

00:42:25.980 --> 00:42:28.045
Let's walk the halls.

00:42:28.045 --> 00:42:47.554
Yeah, i mean, we can accomplish a lot of the same goals, but it is not going to look the same, and so I think we do our clients a disservice to not prepare them well mentally, in a mindset that, yeah, you're going into a hospital room, we can't change that part, but you can wear whatever you want to wear.

00:42:47.554 --> 00:42:49.380
You don't have to wear that hospital gown Now.

00:42:49.380 --> 00:42:50.965
You'll put it in half.

00:42:50.965 --> 00:42:54.135
If they have to, great, then wear your gown.

00:42:54.135 --> 00:42:57.001
Fine, bring your wonderful pillow, are you okay?

00:42:57.001 --> 00:42:59.266
if blood gets on that, fine, bring your pillow.

00:42:59.266 --> 00:43:01.713
I don't really care, make it your own.

00:43:01.713 --> 00:43:12.224
There are so many things you can do, but there are things that are going to potentially be hurdles And we don't have to fight through those hurdles.

00:43:12.224 --> 00:43:17.474
Let's have that conversation and let's get through that immediately.

00:43:18.199 --> 00:43:31.186
And you know, i know that there are going to be plenty of people that are listening to this, whether it is an L&D nurse, whether it's a doula or an expecting mom that might really disagree with my approach, and that's okay.

00:43:31.186 --> 00:43:51.391
I don't need everybody to like me or want my approach, but I do know for myself and my experience that at the end of the day, the person I want to benefit the most is the laboring mama who is looking to have a positive birth experience, and we're going to figure that out.

00:43:51.391 --> 00:44:00.422
We're going to find a way for her to have that positive birth experience given her circumstances, and that's what I want.

00:44:00.422 --> 00:44:12.009
And I have pretty much 100% success rate of clients who say I had a positive birth experience and I would do it exactly the same And they ended up with a C-section.

00:44:12.009 --> 00:44:33.911
So that to me, is more empowering and helping a mom and her perspective and to adjust, to be in reality about where she is and how it's going to go down, but then preparing her for what are her rights.

00:44:34.019 --> 00:44:39.980
I mean, listen, patients' rights are right in the lobby of every L&D floor.

00:44:39.980 --> 00:44:42.547
If you want to know what your rights are, go read them.

00:44:42.547 --> 00:44:51.423
You have a lot of rights And when you know what your rights are before you come in, then you realize there's nothing to fight for Exactly The rights you have.

00:44:51.423 --> 00:45:00.871
You hold all the cards period, and so I think that disarms people right away, which is why my clients and I don't go in with our Dukes up.

00:45:00.871 --> 00:45:03.628
We know the things that we don't have to fight for.

00:45:03.628 --> 00:45:09.980
We know what those are, and then we know the things that are going to require conversations and a collaborative effort.

00:45:09.980 --> 00:45:12.485
Let's do this together.

00:45:12.485 --> 00:45:13.068
How is this?

00:45:13.068 --> 00:45:14.891
what's going to work best for mom and baby?

00:45:14.891 --> 00:45:25.574
And I just have found that that is what produces the biggest benefit to my clients that we'll be delivering in a hospital setting.

00:45:26.260 --> 00:45:29.960
I agree And I want every doula in the world to take your mentorship program.

00:45:31.744 --> 00:45:32.025
Thanks.

00:45:32.025 --> 00:45:34.472
It's an online mentorship that I've just shifted to.

00:45:34.472 --> 00:45:42.210
It's very rewarding, it's intensive I love it And it's a little bit different than what's being offered out there right now in terms of trainings.

00:45:42.431 --> 00:45:43.733
Yeah, Yeah, amazing.

00:45:44.340 --> 00:45:45.304
Social media stuff.

00:45:45.304 --> 00:45:47.612
My doula Mike, I've streamlined it really well.

00:45:47.612 --> 00:45:49.117
That's my website, That's everything.

00:45:49.117 --> 00:45:49.960
So yeah, reach out.

00:45:50.762 --> 00:45:51.143
Awesome.

00:45:51.143 --> 00:45:53.813
Well, micah, was there anything else that you wanted to add?

00:45:53.813 --> 00:45:54.835
I don't think I have anything.

00:45:54.835 --> 00:45:59.951
I think we've covered pretty much everything, and I know we're going to get to the end of the slide We covered, so much ground in this episode.

00:46:00.101 --> 00:46:00.724
I loved it.

00:46:00.724 --> 00:46:04.943
I loved doing it with you And I appreciate everything that you do, kelly.

00:46:04.943 --> 00:46:24.123
I love my L&D nurses and thank you for all that you do, and if you are not feeling appreciated, then know that you got a doula over here in your corner Giving you the thumbs up, high five hugs every day welcome.