What services are included in a doula delivery? Does a doula delivery require an episiotomy?

Before giving birth, many mothers heard that the pain of childbirth is unbearable, so many mothers will have a fear of childbirth. Today, I will introduce to you a way to reduce the pain of childbirth - doula delivery. So what services does doula delivery include? Does doula delivery require episiotomy?

Doula childbirth, this term is not new, it means to guide the mother to give birth comfortably, painlessly, and safely through professional means. Many mothers will never forget the heart-wrenching pain during childbirth, and some mothers still have lingering fears when they think of it. How to effectively relieve this pain? The commonly used methods are drug analgesia and non-drug analgesia. Medicine advocates non-drug analgesia, which is doula childbirth.

Specifically, professionals provide comprehensive, thoughtful, meticulous and humane medical services for mothers from the time of delivery to 2 hours after delivery. Didn't understand? Well, let me give you an example. Medical staff will decorate the delivery room in the hospital to make it very cozy, and make the sheets, quilts, curtains, furniture, etc. as home-like as possible. All medical equipment will be kept in a small dark room and hidden in the closet of the delivery room to reduce the nervousness and fear of mothers.

Next, the doula will play the mother's favorite music and encourage her to hum songs. She will chat with her, provide psychological counseling and emotional support, help relieve negative emotions such as anxiety and fear, and divert the mother's attention from the pain. At the same time, she will also guide the mother to eat and drink in time during the delivery process, and supplement nutrition properly to ensure that she has sufficient physical strength to persist until the baby is born.

Is it enough to do these things well? No, no! The doula must also guide the family members to clearly understand their roles and functions, so that the mother can get the encouragement and support of the family. Let her understand that at any time, relatives are always the strongest backing~ An excellent doula is not only familiar with the stage essentials, service skills and detailed introduction of the birth process, but also can master the precautions in different stages of delivery, which is very powerful. During the delivery process, they will guide the mother to adjust her breathing according to the rhythm of contractions and use Lamaze breathing to relieve pain. Now you know, in this line, "playing" is professionalism!

The staff will closely observe the mother and baby's condition, teach the mother how to massage the acupoints, and help her change her posture so that she can wait for delivery in a comfortable and optimal state. When the time is right, they will also use doula balls, birth stools, birth carts, non-invasive doula instruments and other equipment to relieve the pain of pregnant women and facilitate the progress of labor. Did you know that doula instruments are very magical?

Its analgesic effect is stable, accurate and fast. It can quickly reduce the severe labor pain of level 10 to a tolerable mild pain in just 6-20 minutes, and can provide continuous analgesia for more than 6 hours, meeting the entire labor process. It is very safe for mothers and babies. It is really a blessing for mothers~

Doula delivery may also require episiotomy. Natural delivery is a method of delivery, that is, natural delivery through the vagina. If the mother encounters problems during the natural delivery process, an episiotomy will be used. An episiotomy refers to an oblique incision made in the perineum. Survey results on episiotomy show that nearly 92% of births have undergone episiotomy. About 90% of first-time births will have lacerations of varying degrees, and mild lacerations are very easy to heal - easier than episiotomy. Doula delivery can only relieve labor pain, maternal anxiety, reduce cesarean sections, etc. As for whether to perform an episiotomy, it depends on the pregnant woman's own situation and the delivery situation. Therefore, doula delivery may also require episiotomy.

Doula delivery is also called comfortable delivery. Doula delivery started in the United States in 1996. Initially, pregnant women were allowed to listen to music while giving birth. It allows mothers to relax and then relieve pain during childbirth. Today's doula delivery means that medical staff and doulas provide professional and humane services to mothers, and use non-drug, non-invasive doula instruments to block the pain nerve conduction pathways from the uterine fundus, uterine body and birth canal, achieving a continuous and significant labor analgesia effect, allowing mothers to give birth naturally in a comfortable, painless, and safe state for mother and baby. However, doula delivery cannot determine whether mothers can avoid episiotomy, so before giving birth, mothers should confirm with their attending physician whether they will accept episiotomy during childbirth.

First, the fetus is too large

The successful delivery of many giant babies often requires episiotomy for the mother. This is because the head of the giant baby is relatively large, and the excessive pulling force during natural delivery may cause deep tearing of the perineum, affecting the mother's subsequent physical recovery. Therefore, episiotomy is generally performed for the delivery of giant babies, which can reduce the expansion of the birth canal and protect the mother's pelvic cavity and vagina to a certain extent.

Second, older mothers

The risk of childbirth for older women is higher than that for women of childbearing age, and medical staff will be more cautious when treating older mothers. Women over 35 years old are considered older mothers, and their chances of complications during pregnancy are much higher, and their physical strength is not as good as that of women of childbearing age. Therefore, under the premise of protecting pregnant women, episiotomy is used to shorten the delivery time and reduce the harm to mother and child.

Third, the maternal pelvic condition is not good

Some women who are too thin may have a narrow pelvis, which increases the difficulty of natural childbirth to a certain extent. Because the mother's pelvic condition is not good, a vacuum cleaner or forceps are needed to assist in delivery. At this time, an episiotomy is also required to cooperate with the final delivery of the baby.

Fourth, difficult labor

In case of dystocia, in order to avoid danger to the baby and complete the delivery as soon as possible, vaginal episiotomy is needed to get out of the hypoxic environment. Generally speaking, the location of the episiotomy depends on the delivery situation. One is called direct episiotomy and the other is episiotomy. The doctor will immediately judge the baby's weight and size when the fetal head is about to appear in the vaginal opening, and decide whether to assist in the delivery.

Generally, it is chosen between two uterine contractions, when the fetal head is exposed at the vaginal opening with a diameter of about 3-4 cm. Under perineal block anesthesia, a 45-degree incision is made on the left side of the perineum, about 4-5 cm long. This can prevent postpartum pelvic floor relaxation, postpartum cystocele, rectocele and urinary incontinence.