New hospital program provides help for birthing mothers on St. Thomas
By JOY BLACKBURN
Tuesday, July 26th 2005
ST. THOMAS - Women in labor who want a birth doula to help ease them through the process may now be able to get that help at Schneider Hospital.
Twelve women who underwent a three-day intensive training seminar in May on St. John now are working as volunteer birth doulas at the hospital.
Birth doulas are caregivers who provide emotional and physical support to women in labor. They do not perform clinical tasks, but they instead help support and encourage the mom-to-be throughout labor. "Doula" is Greek for "female servant."
The 12 women who took the training volunteer at least two 12-hour shifts a month at the hospital, said Suzanne Wertman-Quetel, a certified nurse and midwife at Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center on St. John who taught the class.
The fledgling program began July 9. Not enough doulas are available right now to provide 24-hour coverage all the time, but so far no shortage has occurred, Wertman-Quetel said.
"Right now, everybody who's wanted a doula has gotten one," she said.
Luciah Hedrington, administrative officer at Myrah Keating, is one of the new doulas. She has assisted two women in labor so far.
Hedrington said she feels like she is doing something that really helps the mom-to-be through what can be a difficult time. Sometimes, she said, she simply held a woman's hand and coached her with breathing. Other times, she did things to make the woman more comfortable.
She decided to take the class because she was intrigued by the idea of being a doula, she said.
"I didn't have a doula when I was in labor," Hedrington said. "And I could have really used someone positive who knew what they were doing - someone who would be there to say 'This is normal' and 'Hang in there.'"
She enjoys establishing a rapport with patients who are in labor, she said. "I think it's very rewarding because you actually become permanently a part of someone's life. They really never forget you," Hedrington said.
Feedback on the program so far has been positive. "What the doulas tell me is that so far, patients have been really appreciative and grateful for the help," Wertman-Quetel said.
Angela Rennalls-Atkinson, chief nursing officer at Schneider Hospital, said the program seems to be effective.
"I was told it was working well," Rennalls-Atkinson said. "So far, what they have been doing has been quite supportive to the birthing mothers."
Wertman-Quetel said she hopes to conduct another doula training class sometime after the first of the year, to increase the number of volunteers at the hospital.
- Contact Joy Blackburn at 774-8772 ext. 303 or e-mail
blackburn@dailynews.vi.
SOURCE:
http://www.virginislandsdailynews.co...ome?id=7115848
New hospital program provides help for birthing mothers on St. Thomas
