What’s in your bag?

Got a Doula Bag? What’s your favorite or most used item?

Did you miss the meeting? Here is an excerpt from a fellow  UDA doula about tonight’s mentoring meeting. Come learn with us at our monthly mentoring meetings!

 

“Walk into a room of strangers and leave as friends.  That is what I did tonight at the first mentoring meeting of the year. I did know a few people beforehand, but there were still several that I hadn’t met yet.   The topic for the night was “Birth Bag Secrets.”  I find that I am curious as a newer doula what things more experienced doulas find invaluable in their bags.  Robynneprovided a handout from a veteran doula and I have to say it is comprehensive!  I don’t know that I will ever have all of those things in a bag that I would carry, but there are a lot of good ideas that I may take advantage of.  Everyone then went around the room and explained about their favorite thing in their own birth bag:

Flashlight- that can be stood on an end to provide gentle lighting in dark spaces- like the bathroom

Blowup pillow with suction cups- for use in the tub

Yoga mat/ kneepads for kneeling

Battery operated candles – for mood and gentle lighting

Camera

Handheld massager

Electrolyte drink powder packets

Baby food squeeze packs

Cold compresses

Rebozo

Flat tub stopper

Essential Oils: Clary Sage, Lavender and Peppermint

Copies of scripts and affirmations

Snacks

Excedrin and cola for a quick pick- me- up

 

Another topic that we talked about was the ability to trust that things are going to work out.  Due to the uncertain nature of labor and delivery and the fact that we as doulas also have lives and families outside the delivery rooms, sometimes we can get stressed. If you are going to be a successful doula you need to set your limits, whatever they may be, and stick to them and trust that everything else will just work itself out. The right doula will be there for every birth, even if that is no doula at all.  This trust is not an easy thing in the beginning because everything is new. However, the best thing you can do is to find the support that you need and have that in place so that you can focus all of your attention and energies to the birth that you are attending, instead of being overly worried about what is going on at home.   A good back up doula/doulas is key!  The UDA Find a doula page is a great place to find doulas in your area to connect with so that you can have the support you need.F

Mentoring meetings are held once a month to promote learning and growth by sharing our experiences with each other.