Ob nurse / doula discussions last night

tlcdoula · 01-01-2007, 09:25 AM

Last night I went to my sil's house for a family type New Year's Eve party. Shortly after I got there my sil asked me how long I was at my last birth (I went shopping with her sister the day I got called out to my last birfh). While we were talking her dh's sil, T came over to us and asked me what I do. My sil said that I do many things, but that we were talking about my last doula client. T then says to me "oh you are a nurse then?" I told her I was not and she started to tell me how her sister is an ob nurse and she acts in the role of a doula all the time, and how her sister feels that unless you are a nurse you should NOT be allowed to be a doula. I almost rolled my eyes at that one. She went on and on about how only nurses should be doulas because of what could go wrong, etc. I nicely explained that if you are in the role of a doula you wouldn't be doing anything medical. Somewhere in the discussion she is telling me about how her sister encourages her clients to get epidurals so they can be comfortable, and I am thinking "oh yippee - what a poor representation of a doula."

Of course, my sil starts asking me about the whole epidural doula thing, and from the look on my face she later told me she knew I was done with the conversation. We both laughed about it later because she has listened to me ramble enough to know that doulas do not do medical stuff and doulas do not highly encourage mamas to get epidurals.

I keep trying to remind myself that some women want epidurals and feel safer with a nurse as their doula, but I just keep wondering if this woman truly educates the mama on the risks and benefits and if they truly know that their births could be better.

doula Michele · 01-01-2007, 09:37 AM

ARG!!!!
Well at least you didn't add excitment to the new years party by climbing over the couch and having a nasty cat fight!

Why can't some people just keep their opinions to themselves, so everyone can enjoy the evening.

nocomparta · 01-01-2007, 09:40 AM

My opinion is that in most cases, the nurse as a doula is a conflict of interest, especially if she is working as the OB nurse for that particular client. I know some nurses who are doulas but not at the same time, and those particular doulas are usually great doulas. I also know a lot of nurses who try to doula their clients because they just need the support, and in those cases again I don't have a problem as long as they don't allow their responsibilities as nurse conflict with the standard of care they give in the doula department. But nurses who call themselves doulas who encourage their clients to get epidurals are NOT doulas. They are just using a new tactic to get their clients to do as they say.

Jilian · 01-01-2007, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoulaVal

My opinion is that in most cases, the nurse as a doula is a conflict of interest, especially if she is working as the OB nurse for that particular client.

Exactly. The most important part of having a doula is that she works for YOU and not the hospital, so there is no hidden agenda or "higher up" to answer to. I think it is sad that this OB nurse is calling herself a doula, she's giving doulas a bad name.

I also know L&D nurses that are also doulas, but they are doulas when they are not on shift. While they are working they "doula" their clients but they still have to do what their MW/OBs tell them so they don't advertise the fact that they are doulas to the patients.

tlcdoula · 01-01-2007, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoulaVal

My opinion is that in most cases, the nurse as a doula is a conflict of interest, especially if she is working as the OB nurse for that particular client. I know some nurses who are doulas but not at the same time, and those particular doulas are usually great doulas. I also know a lot of nurses who try to doula their clients because they just need the support, and in those cases again I don't have a problem as long as they don't allow their responsibilities as nurse conflict with the standard of care they give in the doula department. But nurses who call themselves doulas who encourage their clients to get epidurals are NOT doulas. They are just using a new tactic to get their clients to do as they say.

Yep, my feelings exactly!!! What bothers me even more is that this woman works as a nurse and as she is working tells her patients that she is a doula - gives the wrong impression of a doula.

tchatters · 01-01-2007, 11:48 AM

I met a nurse last night with my client at the hospital who could have been a great Doula- and he was a he! He talked to her about fetal positioning (which I've NEVER heard at this hospital), encouraged her to move and said whenever she gets comfortable in a place she's been there too long. Just as I was thinking, "wow- this guy's good!" he had to make her move positions to reposition the monitor to catch the contractions better...

You just can't do both. Probably there are OB nurses out there who would be excellent Doulas- but the balance between the hospital's interest and the patient's interest is too difficult for one to keep, knowing that one way might be a great birth experience and still result in you losing your job.

RosyDoula · 01-01-2007, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlcdoula

she started to tell me how her sister is an ob nurse and she acts in the role of a doula all the time, and how her sister feels that unless you are a nurse you should NOT be allowed to be a doula. I almost rolled my eyes at that one.

Lol, I WOULD have rolled my eyes at that one!

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoulaVal

My opinion is that in most cases, the nurse as a doula is a conflict of interest, especially if she is working as the OB nurse for that particular client.

ITA!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tchatters

He... encouraged her to move and said whenever she gets comfortable in a place she's been there too long.

??? When I labor, I know I am in a good position when my body stops sending me the uncomfortable "I NEED CHANGE" sensations/emotions. I thought that was the point - they cease when you are in the position that helps the baby down.

earthgirl · 01-02-2007, 11:02 AM

I agree. I love those wiser LD nures though. There was a very nice "older" nurse at the last birth, and she told the DH not to bother looking at those monitors, the best way to tell how a ctx is, is to look at Mom!" I loved her in that instant

Too bad she left before the baby came- she would be one those, that would be a great doula as well! She understood the normalcy of birth, not just the medical side from being in the hospital.

tchatters · 01-02-2007, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RosyDoula

Lol, I WOULD have rolled my eyes at that one!

ITA!

??? When I labor, I know I am in a good position when my body stops sending me the uncomfortable "I NEED CHANGE" sensations/emotions. I thought that was the point - they cease when you are in the position that helps the baby down.

This particular mom was moving into positions to avoid painful contractions- she didn't have a good sense of what her body needed and wanted. She liked laying in the bed because the contractions were so much less intense... She was having great contractions on the ball or toilet but they "hurt" so she wanted to move.

anointeddoula · 01-02-2007, 01:12 PM

I agree that there is a conflict of intrests. You did great with your sil. I really dislike conversation like the one you had with her. It really shows how close minded she is about something she knows nothing about. Sometimes people can be so closed minded that they miss out on the most wonderful things in life. Hopefully you will get a chance to enlighting her one day and her dhs the nurse. So, dhs will stop presenting herself as a doula and stick to what she knows nursing.