Doula Testimonial

The 5 W’s of Why Staci Bishop Rocks
By: Sarah - Nashville, TN

Who:
My fiancé and I were bound and determined to be ready to knock down doors to have a natural childbirth. After enrolling in Bradley classes, which armed us with knowledge about informed consent, the birthing process, and a myriad of details, we felt semi-prepared and ready to go. As the day grew closer, I started to doubt myself. Would I be strong enough? Would Shawn remember everything? I knew from the beginning that it would just be the two of us in the room. I wanted it to be intimate and I wanted every decision made to come from my heart and not an outside influence. I knew that Shawn supported my decisions, but who would be there for him when the going got tough? We decided around 36 weeks that we would need a doula. We scheduled three interviews and only had one. It was with Staci. I didn’t need to meet anyone else.

What:
Maybe it was the aromatherapy, the specialization as a hypnodoula, her crazy good organization skills, or her calm, but assertive manner, that made our instant decision? It was all of the above. The essential oils did so much for me at home. I BELIEVED in their ability to help and most of all BELIEVED in Staci using them to guide me through. I tried to get into hypnobabies during pregnancy, but couldn’t. On birth day, Staci was armed with the CD and it got me further than I ever thought it could.

When:
54 hours is a long time to be in labor. Staci was with us when I thought the contractions were bad, when they started to get bad, when they were REALLY bad, and when they stopped. Her techniques allowed me to remain calm and at home through early labor. Your sense of power is amazing when you have someone there with you, working through each contraction, telling you that YOU WILL deliver this baby and YOU ARE strong and DOING GREAT.

Where:
Staci spent early labor at home with us. She went to the Vandy with us…twice. Most of all, she was there when I felt defeated and opted for an epidural. Sometimes medication is needed. For pain. For rest. I needed both. Having the support of my partner and my doula allowed me to relax. I was able to get into the side position that Staci and my Bradley classes had taught me, and in an hour and a half I was ready to push. Charlotte came into the world with Shawn, Staci, and our (third) midwife by my side. I remember Staci and Shawn cheering as I was pushing. It still brings instant tears. This woman that I met a few short weeks ago had helped me achieve a LIFE dream. How can I every repay her?

Why:
Without Staci I would have almost definitely had an unplanned cesarean. I would have gone to the hospital early, I wouldn’t have had the courage to decline an unwanted ultrasound (to look for an amniotic leak that would have put me on the 24 hour clock), I would have just wanted it to be over so that I could go to sleep. She worked me through almost two days of contractions at home, gave me support with all decisions that we made, and kept me drinking fluids to keep my energy up. All of this AND the support she provided for Shawn. A great midwife told me once that however many people are at a birth is how many it takes to deliver a baby. For Charlotte’s arrival, I needed Shawn, but we BOTH needed Staci. My heart soars when I think of her. Needless to say, she comes with high recommendations from our family. When it comes time for another baby, I can only hope that she will be by my side once again.

Reading Roundup 8/9 (Cesarean & VBAC edition)

Tennessee Cesarean Rates by Hospital, 2010 - This is the most up-to-date information we have in my state. Unfortunately all hospitals are not required to release this information. One big hospital in Nashville, Centennial Women's Center, is missing from this report. Makes me wonder how high theirs is. For my area, Vanderbilt seems to have the lowest (31.5%) rate.

Cesarean Section Rates in the United States - This is from the AGOG website and shows rates from 1970 until 2006. Interestingly, this chart also shows the VBAC rate. I found it fascinating that only 10% of women were getting to VBAC in 2006, when it has been as high as 28% just a decade earlier.

The Evidence for Skin-To-Skin Care After a Cesarean - "The benefits of skin-to-skin care are so clear that the World Health Organization recommends ALL newborns receive skin-to-skin care, no matter the baby’s weight, gestational age, birth setting, or clinical condition."

Cesareans More Dangerous Than Previously Thought: 1 in 10 women develop infections - "Post-surgical infection can seriously affect a woman’s quality of life at a critical time when she is recovering from an operation and has a new born baby to look after. More needs to be done to look into this and address ways of reducing infection."

Professor Declerqc Discusses Rising Cesarean Rates - Interesting video that ultimately led me to the site below.

Birth by the Numbers - This man knows his numbers and breaks down years of stats and research into a nifty little video. You can also download the powerpoint slides.

ObGyns Issue Less Restrictive VBAC Guidelines - Straight from the mouth of the governing body for obstetricians. "The current cesarean rate is undeniably high and absolutely concerns us as ob-gyns. These VBAC guidelines emphasize the need for thorough counseling of benefits and risks, shared patient-doctor decision making, and the importance of patient autonomy. Moving forward, we need to work collaboratively with our patients and our colleagues, hospitals, and insurers to swing the pendulum back to fewer cesareans and a more reasonable VBAC rate." - Richard N. Waldman, MD, president of The College

Should There Be a Limit on Cesareans? - "But now the WHO states that "there is no empirical evidence for an optimum percentage" and stresses that "what matters most is that all women who need Caesarean sections receive them"." <---- While I disagree with this new position, this article raises some very interesting points about women's choice as well as what factors may be contributing to a higher C-section rate.

Trial of Labor is a new documentary coming out and I am very anxious to see it. It follows 4 women who had a primary C-section and are pursing a VBAC. The trailer is below. If you would like to suppor the film, click here.