What’s In Our Doula Bag?
Clients often ask what we will bring with us when we meet them in labor.
Since every doula has their own favorite tools of the trade, it’s a great question! We thought we’d share a bit of what you’d find if you opened up our doula bags.
Doulas are known to improve birth outcomes, but it can be hard to imagine exactly what doulas do during labor. Learning about the tools we bring can help shed some light on that!
One big cavet: our doula bags aren’t static. We change what we bring from time to time, and sometimes despite our best efforts we aren’t able to re-stock something in time for the next birth (especially with the shipping delays that are so much more common nowdays). So take this as a snapshot in time of what is currently in our doula bags in the fall of 2022!
Here’s our list:
Things to make the laboring space feel a bit homier (especially for hospital births). String lights, flameless candles, a pretty shawl we might drape on the foot of the bed... little things can make a big difference for the atmosphere in a hospital room! All of this is in often in addition to keeping the lights low and often playing music. A darker, homier atmosphere can help labor progress, as cozy, private environment makes our bodies feel safer and makes it easier to produce oxytocin (the labor hormone).
We also find that the more personal the room feels thanks to these little touches, the more "warm fuzzies" the hospital staff feel when they walk in! This can be lovely for nurses and doctors as a cozy break from the usual harshness of hospital rooms. When staff feels a little warmer and lighter, they tend to smile and connect a bit more with our clients. Definitely a win-win!Things to make the laboring person more comfortable. First and foremost (especially for clients hoping to avoid or put off an epidural until later in labor) is a TENS unit. TENS stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and it’s basically a gentle electric current that can increase your ability to cope through contractions. TENS units are great for when someone is ready for that next level of pain-coping support, but not quite ready for medical pain relief through an epidural or IV.
We often massage our laboring clients, so we bring a noncomedogenic massage oil and a massage tool (though we usually just use our hands). Sometimes a hand or foot massage can be just the thing during a longer labor! Once in a while someone experiences tightness or cramping in their calves, so we can massage there too. Of course neck and shoulder tension can creep in, and we're happy to help release some of that. We love to encourage partners to massage the laboring person if they'd like to.
Sometimes a little heat can be helpful to counteract pain in the lower abdomen or back. We bring a heating pad with us just in case, although most hospitals are well-stocked with heat packs.
Conversely, cool can be perfect during the hard work of labor. We also bring a handheld fan (not battery operated as we've had a few clients who were bothered by the whirring sound in labor). And in case our clients forgot to pack a headband to keep any annoying stray hairs out of their eyes and off a sweaty forehead, we usually bring a couple of those too.
While we don't bring these with us, we do often use hospital washcloths with warm or cool water to help provide some extra comfort when necessary.Things that smell good. We usually have a few options of essential oils tucked away in our bags. The oils we normally bring are peppermint to help ease nausea or a headache, lavender for some yummy relaxation, and a citrus (usually tangerine or lemon) to bring a little brightness. Sometimes we add rose geranium to the mix too, since it can be so uplifting.
Some caveats here: We are not certified aromatherapists, so we are not in a position to prescribe use of essential oils. We never apply oils directly to our clients' skin. We don’t diffuse oils at births because if the smell were to end up bothering the laboring person (it happens!), we would have no way of removing it from the room... yikes! Plus, there's always a chance that someone involved with the birth is sensitive or even allergic to certain essential oils, so we like to play it safe.
What we like to do is put a few drops of essential oil into a little personal inhaler so someone can hold it up to their nose when they want to during labor. A great thing about this strategy is that the inhalers are really easy to bring into the OR too for cesarean births!Things to hold in your hands. Sometimes it can be amazingly comforting to hold something in your hands during labor. This can be especially true if laboring with an epidural - since the sensation of numbness in a large part of your body can be disconcerting and even cause increased anxiety, it can feel very grounding to grip or turn something over in your hand.
We have a couple of combs in our doula bags that can be great for some distracting sensation. There is also research to suggest that combs can be applied to a reflexology point that can encourage pain relief. We've also had laboring clients love holding our massage tools in their hands.
Having something comforting to hold can of course include holding someone's hand! But sometimes when good hard squeezing is what's needed to get through a tough contraction, it can be helpful to have an inanimate object available that can take the pressure, without worrying if you’re causing any discomfort to the person whose hand you’re holding.Things to give a quick energy boost. Sometimes when labor gets long or exhausting, a little sugar can go a long way to help the body regain some energy. We carry honey sticks, well-known in the birth world for their helpful burst of energy. Great for laboring clients as well as their support people (including us)!
We have another blog post all about eating and drinking in labor if you’re looking for more ideas along these lines.Things to keep ourselves comfortable and hygienic. Let's be honest: working hard physically in a sometimes too-warm, sometimes too-cold room with a person in labor isn't always conducive to minty-fresh doulas! We bring toiletries with us in case we need to freshen up.
You'll also find drinks and snacks in our doula bag. Depending on what time we get called to a birth, we may not have eaten for a while. We always take time to nourish ourselves with a little something when we need it to be sure we can be physically and mentally present during birth. And we encourage partners and other birth support people to do the same!
Our dogs Wren and Robin “helping” us re-pack the doula bag for our next client
You'll notice there's one thing missing from this list:
MAGIC.
Everything on this list is pretty mundane - we don’t have any fairy dust to magically alter the course of someone’s labor.
But what we have that *can* be magical is presence.
When we come to your birth, we’ll bring:
Our intuition.
Our ability to read a room.
Our communication skills.
Our experience.
Our knowledge.
Our willingness to try, try, and try again to find something that might help.
Our perspective that birth is intense and challenging and real, and that you can get through even the toughest moments with love and intention - even when the path looks different than you hoped it would.
That is the heart of what we do.
That's why doulas can make such a huge difference for our clients, even though we can't magically take away pain or intensity or "fix" anything.
The support of someone who offers you their experience, strength, and love as you prepare to meet your baby can be a magical thing.
We hope this is helpful as you prepare for birth! You can learn more about our birth doula services here.
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