"I love being a Doula. I get to connect with couples on their journey to parenthood. I have the honour of sharing my knowledge about pregnancy and birth with them and sharing one of their most special days ever.
A few days before I went on call for the first time, I wondered what I was going to put in my doula bag. My initial thought (before I had clients) was that I'd have to carry many, many things. I wanted to be a superdoula! But the day before I went on call, I decided less was more. Here is what I decided to select for my doula bag:
For my client:
- A rebozo, which is a Mexican wrap to use for comfort measures during pregnancy and labour
- Two facecloths: one for cold water (to cool my client down if needed) and one for warm water (heat on the back can be soothing)
- A hairband
- A copy of my client's birth preferences
For me:
- A pair of socks, underwear and a t-shirt in case I'm gone for a day or two.
- A travel toothbrush, toothpaste, mints, wipes and a facecloth to freshen up.
- A small bottle of water and a snack bar: to keep hydrated and keep my energy levels up
- Money: enough to buy food and pay for a taxi
- A small wet bag to put the wet face cloth in
- A pen and labour notes form
You might ask, what about an aromatherapy* rice sock, or a rolling-pin or tennis balls to massage our clients? A TENS machine? Well, comfort measures and the labour toolkit are topics we go over at antenatal appointments; our doula clients like having all of these prepared and ready to use on the day, which is why they are not in my doula bag.
There is no perfect doula bag. Only what works best for a particular doula. Just as all pregnancies and labours are different, doulas may choose to have fewer or more items."
*Doulas who are not qualified aromatherapists do not bring essential oils to their clients but may use the one clients own should their clients wish to use them.
Aude Lemineur-Murray is a member of the Doula Association of Ireland and a DONA-trained doula who is passionate about pregnancy and birth and serves all three Dublin hospitals as well as home births in Dublin. This week, we're celebrating #WorldDoulaWeek.
