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Doulas help women in labor keep to the
game plan
Heal
Tuesday, January 3, 2006
By ABIGAIL LEICHMAN
STAFF WRITER
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p
Hea
As her contractions intensified, Lisa
Bisontis was on the verge of
demanding the very pain medication
she'd instructed her doctor not to
give her.
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"I was getting ready to bail," she
recalled, just 10 hours after giving
birth to 8-pound, 8-ounce Paige.
And maybe she would have, if not
Julie and Derrick Butler using a birthing ball with
for the encouragement of labor doula
doula Roseanne Ebert's guidance. (SAL
Marie Muller-Noonan at her side.
BENNEDETTO/VALLEY HOSPITAL)
N.I.E. (education)
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Like midwives, non-medical assistants called doulas (from the Greek word for a
woman's servant) used to be a component of every mother's female support
system in many parts of the world. As childbirth moved from home to hospital,
doulas disappeared.
But just as today's certified nurse-midwives have been welcomed back to the
team, trained doulas are returning as well.
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"Even though I was wavering a lot, Marie gave me hope that I could do it on my
own," said Bisontis, of Ringwood.
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In North Jersey, postpartum doulas are available for hire to help at home. And
since May, certified labor doulas have been an option at Valley Hospital in
Ridgewood.
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"Hospital births have gotten so high-tech medically, and there are such high Csection rates - New Jersey's is the highest - that we thought it would be a
wonderful compromise to be able to deliver in a hospital with a warm, caring,
hands-on touch," said Cindy Ferestein, a registered nurse and Valley's parent
education coordinator.
Ferestein developed a doula training program at Valley and serves as one of its
10 on-call certified doulas.
Expectant mothers may request a doula in
advance (health plans do not cover the $495
fee) or may ask for one on the spot. In some
cases, a labor-delivery nurse will suggest it.
"I was being induced, and upon arriving at the
hospital one of the nurses asked if I'd be
interested in having someone to support me
and give me ideas to ease the labor a little
bit," said Mary Ellen Pardo of Rochelle Park,
whose son Ryan was born in August.
Ferestein was on call and soon arrived. She
showed Jay Pardo ways to make his wife
more comfortable, such as massaging her
back. She taught Mary Ellen how to use a
labor ball to ease contractions and better
position the baby.
"When it came time to push, I remember
Cindy being right there in my ear, gently
saying, 'Close your mouth, put your chin down
a little.' Any advice to help me do it the right
way was so helpful," Pardo said.
Back in the day, doulas didn't have dads in the
labor room with them. Today, they are trained
to enable fathers to be more active partners in
the process.
TRAINING IS REQUIRED:
Mothers, grandmothers,
sisters - anyone who's been
around mothers and children
and "just loves that feeling of
helping a woman in labor"
can sign up for doula training
at Valley Hospital, said Cindy
Ferestein, parent education
coordinator.
To receive certification
through Doulas of North
America, trainees must
complete a minimum of 15
hours of childbirth education
classes and attend at least
three deliveries. The next
training is scheduled for May
1-4 at the hospital's Kraft
Center and costs $500.
Select graduates of the
program are asked to join
Valley's cadre of on-call labor
doulas.
For information, call
Ferestein at (201) 291-6152.
"Most men enjoy being involved in a positive
way," said Ferestein. "But even if they're
- Abigail Leichman
eager and willing to help, they tend to get
nervous as labor gets active. It's hard to see
someone you love in pain. A doula may be able to read the mom a little better
and incorporate her partner accordingly."
In cases where the mother has to be prepped for an emergency Caesarean
section, the doula stays with the father to offer information and support during
what can be a scary and confusing time. She then accompanies the couple to
the operating suite.
While Julie and Derrick Butler of New Milford didn't encounter such
circumstances with doula Roseanne Ebert while Julie was in labor with Annalise
on Oct. 14, they welcomed Ebert's expertise.
"Roseanne was there from the time I got admitted," said Julie Butler, "and she
not only helped me with positions and relaxation but also helped my husband get
more engaged in the birth process, guiding him to help me get through it. It took
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a lot of pressure off him."
Anthony Bisontis said he loved having Muller-Noonan's help in communicating
his wife's needs. The two of them massaged Lisa's feet, back and head using
reflexology techniques the doula showed him.
"Marie showed me some things that would help Lisa relax, and I followed them
all, and Lisa said 'Yes, that's great,' so we kept going," said Anthony. Lisa
Bisontis said she was amazed at how these low-tech methods made her
contractions more tolerable.
Together with a supportive labor nurse, the three kept to Lisa Bisontis'
medication-free birth plan. Paige was born at 4:26 a.m. on Dec. 15, and both
Ferestein and Muller-Noonan came back to visit that afternoon.
"Labor is such an intimate time that you can bond very quickly," said Ferestein,
who also checks up on clients after they've gone home. "And we try to make it as
special as we can for them."
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