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Ask A Doula
Questions and Answer

Q. My wife is due any day now and we live way out in the country. Can you tell me what I would have to do to deliver this child if necessary?

A. It is really beyond the scope of the doula to help you. I can suggest reading an emergency childbirth text, or asking your midwife or doctor to guide you through "just in case". Is 911 an option in your area? Firemen, policement and emergency medical personnel are all trained to deliver babies in an emergency. All emergency texts recommend trying to stay calm, not panic, and keep clean. Never pull on the baby or cut the cord yourself. Put the baby to the breast after birth and wait patiently for the placenta to deliver, keeping the baby warm next to the mother is always recommended. It is true that birth is a normal physiological process, and some women even plan 'unattended' homebirths. You might want to search the internet for more information on that.

Ilana Stein has been working professionally with pregnant women since 1983 as a childbirth educator, labor assistant and breastfeeding consultant. She was originally certified by the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth (The Bradley Method), The Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators (ALACE), and Doulas of North America (DONA). She teachs the ALACE Labor Assistant training workshop nationwide. She has spoken at conferences and at the New York University Graduate Program in Midwifery about labor support. She is a Positive Pregnancy and Parenting Fitness (PPPF) instructor and La Leche League Leader. She is also a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor at the local YMCA. She volunteers as the coordinator of the annual New York Area YM-YWCA Women’s Wellness Weekend.