The Smart Doula| Virtual Doula Blog

How to reduce risks and optimise your experience But I'm not planning on having an epidural If you are planning to give birth in hospital, it is worth taking time to understand epidurals, even if you currently feel certain that you will not want one. Labour is more vulnerable to the cascade of interventions in hospital and decisions are often made at moments of intensity, fatigue, or vulnerability. You are also more likely to be offered interventions such as artificially brea

Pain relief in labour Before you start reading this blog, I would recommend you hop over to my other blog about non-medical pain relief in labour. Not because I want to discourage you from using medical pain relief in labour, but all of the things in the first blog can be used alongside medication - layering up is a great strategy for labour and one you need to get in on! Paracetamol for pain relief in labour What is Paracetamol You most likely already know about this one! Pa

If you are pregnant and reading the news right now, you may feel anxious. Homebirth can feel unsafe because of media headlines. Freebirth can feel terrifying because of extreme stories shared online. It is hard to make a confident choice when everything around you sounds dramatic and confusing. So let us slow everything down. Let us look at what homebirth and freebirth actually involve. Let us explore the similarities and the differences with calm evidence and clear explanati

Once a cesarean, always a cesarean? Didn't it use to be once a cesarean, always a cesarean? Yes, and unfortunately for some, this mindset persists for some today! At the time of this saying, rickets, malnutrition, and pelvic deformity were common, and the surgical procedure was much less refined. It was accepted that once it had been performed, most women would not give birth vaginally again. Today, the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (RCOG) states: ‘Planned VBAC i