We love control as humans, don’t we? We want to know when things are going to happen, how they’re going to happen, and where they’re going to happen. Some of us have more of an innate need to feel protected by the answers to these questions than others, but all of us have some sense of control over our lives.
I think that’s why birth can be frustrating at times. There are a lot of unknowns.
Will I go into labor spontaneously?
Before my due date? After?
How will it start?
Will my water break first or contractions start first?
Will I be at work or at home?
When do I go to the hospital?
How long will my labor last?
Will I have a caesarean or a vaginal birth?
And so many more.
Even when we get supposed answers to some of these questions, it’s often more than not, it often feels more complicated.
We have statistics, and I am a lover of statistics. I love knowing the percentages on how often labor begins with waters breaking. We have guidelines, too, from books, physicians, etc. Guidelines help us with ideas on when to go to the hospital based on contraction timing. But, in reality, each birth is unique. We have to look at the entire big picture knowing that every birth takes its own twists and turns.
That’s where having someone who is knowledgeable in birth, like a doula, can help you. Rocket City Doulas can help you navigate the fluidity of labor and birth. Taking in the entire picture of YOU, not just textbook data. Helping you sift through data, guidelines and what’s actually happening. Helping you gain back a small sense of control, or at least a sense of peace in the uncertainty.
