Dreaming of a hospital “Doula Room”

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by

mentorchar
in
Photo by Carlo Navarro on Unsplash

I recently had the privilege of seeing a hospital maternity that was almost done with it’s remodeling project, and when the tour guide asked if I had any questions I asked “What spaces can doulas use?”. Often, doulas serving clients at a hospital birth don’t have a clear picture of if they’re ‘allowed’ to use staff or family facilities, which bathrooms can they access, where do they store their gear and snacks, etc…

This led me to ask some birth communities “What would you put in a hospital doula room?”. That is, if doulas had a dedicated space in the maternity ward, what would make it an effective, valued resource (and, by extension, show that doulas are a valued resource to the hospital!). I got some wonderful and varied answers, but some key points stood out:

  • LOCKERS– Doulas need a dedicated space to put their personal gear so it isn’t taking up space in the birth room. A permanent locker would be especially helpful for doulas who are on-site regularly
  • BEDS– Doulas need a place to rest; more than one bed, separated by curtains, and with access to electricity for phone charging & CPAPs would be ideal.
  • LAUNDRY– Doulas need a way to change clothes. Either by being able to have a change of clothes in their locker, having access to back-up scrubs, and/or access to a small washer/dryer setup.
  • HYGENE– Doulas need access to a toilet, sink and shower, plus towels.
  • GEAR– Doulas need access to shared birth balls, yoga mats, massage tools, comfort measures, etc; without having to bother the nursing staff to access them.
  • FOOD– Doulas need access to a microwave, fridge, coffee/tea, water/ice, snacks.

Obviously, some of these needs can be filled by utilizing existing family or staff spaces- but some of them can’t, or shouldn’t. Things like sleeping space may be available to staff, but they may have a clear schedule, or team dynamic for using it that doula use could disrupt. And a doula accessing family spaces could present confidentiality concerns, or leave the doula with minimal privacy.

So the best possible solution is to intentionally create a space that is focused on doula use- a place they can hang their hat and know that they have that space as a resource throughout their time at the hospital. Introducing the doula to that space would be part of the doula’s arrival on site, and it should be clearly marked as the doula-focused space.

If you are someone who has the authority to create a Doula Room at your maternity facility (even out-of hospital birth centers!), please consider making one a goal! The doulas that come to your facility will deeply appreciate it.

Other things that were suggested for a Doula Room:

  • A blank journal for doulas to leave encouraging notes to each other
  • Facility specific name badges for doulas who are on site regularly
  • Shared MP3 players with ‘birthy’ playlists
  • Charging stations for devices
  • Pagers for when they are napping
  • Private nursing/pumping station and fridge for lactating doulas
  • Comfy chairs/recliners
  • Comfort tools for the doula: massagers, earplugs, eye masks, bin of doula-stocked toiletries, OTC meds