Do Doulas Work With Epidurals?

There is a misconception out there, and it just won't go away. And it's this: if you hire a doula to be at your birth, they won't let you get an epidural.

And it's just not true.

As your doula, it is my job to help you feel comfortable and informed. Since 70% of births in the US choose to include an epidural, supporting clients with epidurals is a big part of what I do. Recently there has been more of a push to have an unmedicated birth experience, and having fewer interventions during birth has been proven to be the safest option for most births however, this is your unique birth experience and how you wish to give birth is important. Birth should never be about suffering so if an epidural is the thing that prevents you from feeling completely overwhelmed during your labor then I am absolutely all for it. Epidurals are simply another tool in our toolbox.

Doulas have been shown to increase the overall birth experience significantly.

So how does this all relate to epidurals?

As a labor doula who supports my client’s right to information, decision-making, and autonomy concerning medical decisions, I want to say that I value my client's choices in labor, including their choice to have labor pain managed by medication.

Getting an epidural does not negate the need for questions to get answered. It does not mean that labor goes faster or slower. It does not mean that your baby will suddenly be in the optimum position for your labor to progress. It does not mean that when it comes time to push that everything is magically easier.

What having a doula AND an epidural means is this:

• Someone will be present to help ensure you have all the information you need to feel confident in making your decisions.

• Someone will be present to help validate your choice and work through any baggage, shame, or grief that comes from making the decision.

• Someone will be present to ensure you have emotional and mental support once the epidural is placed, and you don't feel left dangling afterward.

• Someone is still providing physical comfort measures when/if needed because epidurals do not always remove this need completely.

• Someone is present to help prepare you for what labor can look and feel like after getting an epidural placed.

• Someone will continue to help you safely stay mobile with your epidural to encourage your labor to keep moving forward.

• Someone is encouraging you to rest, be present at the moment, and connect with your child and family.

• Someone is still with you so that your partner (if you are partnered) can take a restroom break or a nourishment break and you are never left alone.

• Someone is focused on your well-being and not just what monitors say.

• Someone to help you prepare for pushing when many physiological signals may not work well.

• Someone is there once your baby is born to support your first feeding.

• And If your doula is also a photographer like me, someone is still there to document your birth.

So yes, doulas do work when epidurals are a part of a client's plan, be it intentional or spontaneous. We support birthing people and the choices they make. We are not so full of ego to think that we know how to define what a "good birth" would look and feel like to each one of our clients.

And what we know most of all, is that how people feel during labor is often much more important than the individual choices they make.