[By Benjamin Pinzer, MHA, BSN, RN, RNC-MNN, Director of Maternity & Newborn Services, St. Peter’s Health Partners Acute Care.]
Planning the birth of a baby can be an exciting time for many pregnant individuals and couples, but it can also feel overwhelming and a bit scary. Of course you want the best medical care you can get, but what about additional emotional and informational support right at your bedside? Enter the doula.
A doula is a compassionate professional who provides support to pregnant individuals before, during, and after labor and delivery to help create a positive and empowering birthing experience.
St. Peter’s Hospital began offering doula services in 2024 and recently expanded those services to Burdett Birth Center at Samaritan Hospital. It seemed like a natural extension of the supportive options we have in our hospitals – birthing experiences tailored to your wants and needs; labor carts with soothing and relaxing items as alternatives for pain management; breast-feeding support services – all of which help our patients feel nurtured and strong as they prepare for the birth of their child.
Doula care most often begins during the first few months of pregnancy. Doulas can assist the patient to make informed choices about what kind of birth experience they want and advocate for that birthing plan with the clinical team. They also:
- Teach relaxation skills and promote feelings of nurturing and love.
- Provide alternative pain management methods and breathing techniques, as well as physical comfort measures including ice, heat, music, low lighting, candles, massage, water therapy, and essential oils.
- Educate on techniques to support more effective labor by incorporating walking, squatting, rocking, swaying, slow dancing, and position changes using gravity and motion.
“It feels natural to me, and instinctual to be responsive to women during one of the most vulnerable, intensive, powerful, and memorable experiences of their life,” said certified birth doula Terry Messina, RN, FCN, CEAS, SANE-A, FCN, CD.
Messina says it is well-documented that birthing individuals who feel safe and loved have better labor and delivery experiences and have better health outcomes for themselves and their babies, including fewer unplanned C-sections and complications of birth. It should be noted that birthing individuals who have had a poor or traumatic birth experience in the past often find healing in a new, doula-assisted birth experience.
“The birthing process can be very scary and for some they may feel alone, unequipped with lack of control. I am always humbled to witness fear dispelled and see the metamorphosis of a courageous, fearless, strong birthing woman, bringing into the world her own miracle of new life.” -Terry Messina, Certified Birth Doula
If you or someone you know is pregnant and looking to learn more about doulas and other supportive birthing services offered at St. Peter’s Health Partners, talk to your provider or visit Maternity Care | St. Peter’s Health Partners | Albany, NY.
St. Peter’s Health Partners offers patient-centered care that allows you to birth your baby in a warm and home-like atmosphere with the comfort of knowing you and your baby will be cared for by board-certified obstetricians or midwives, whichever you choose, alongside our expert nurses and doulas. Expectant families can choose between St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany and Burdett Birth Center at Samaritan Hospital in Troy. St. Peter’s Hospital also has a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for babies born premature or critically ill, staffed 24/7 by neonatologists, advanced practice providers, neonatal nurses, and respiratory therapists.
