Some thoughts on Helpers or Doulas

[Guest guest]

I think the doula idea is a really fantastic. -- We’ve had some posts here

recently about the idea of having “helpers” for women undergoing surgery &

there was some discussion about that at the S.F. get together last weekend

also. It is a very appealing idea, but I think close to impossible for us

to do here – especially given the uncertainty about people you meet

semi-anonymously on the net and the potential for overwhelming liability.

One thing we talked about at Herbivore last Sunday was the fact that

face-to-face meetings make it possible for a few of us to get to know each

other better, and thus some friendships might form. Such friendships could

be truly helpful to women needing someone to go through the surgery

experience with them. So, in my mind, there’s one more reason to try to

keep having some face-to-face meetings from time to time.

Still seems what we’re really talking about when with this “helpers” thing

is a doula with a slightly different “specialty” – sort of a fibroid surgery

doula if you will, rather than a childbirth doula. I don’t know why there

couldn’t be “surgery doulas.” If there was adequate demand for them,

surely they would become available. If women started asking these doula

organizations about this, started using these doulas for surgery -- some of

the doulas might become very interested in expanding their work in this way,

becoming truly knowledgeable about things besides childbirth. Encouraging

doulas to do this might be one way to set-up those “helpers” we’ve thought

about.

Mulling this over, it also occurred to me that while there have been many

posts about what to take to the hospital with you and some about what to do

in preparation, I don’t recall posts containing lists of what you could do

to help someone else who is going through treatment.

Maybe it could also be helpful for us as a group to try to assemble lists of

things that would be – or would have been – useful to us. This could be

used by those who do help others – AND by ladies needing assistance, but who

aren’t quite certain what sorts of assistance they might want/need to ask

for. – I suspect that even for experienced doulas – when branching out into

a slightly different area (like fibroids) -- such “helpful hints” might be

useful.

Batting ideas like this around, helps me see things from a different angle –

so maybe these thoughts of mine will help shape some helpful ideas for

others to share with the group.

Anyone game?

Pat

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[Guest guest]

Pat,

Batter up!

Had I not had a DVT episode during

my 7th month of pregnancy, I would

have had a Doula or my EMT husband

(who delivered 25 other babies)

deliver our baby, now nearly 21 years

ago. But I digress...

google search: JCAHO and post surgery

patient monitoring:

Pain management, especially for this

population of women who may experience

abdominal surgeries or non-surgical

interventions, ie UFE, is important.

The JCAHO is addressing the issue

of better pain management.

The nursingceu.com ceu on pain

management was fairly interesting-

http://www.nursingceu.com/NCEU/courses/paincontrol/

I just don't know that nursing staff

have the time to incorporate massage,

let alone make sure there is no post-surgery

evaluation deficits occurring.

I don't know that there have been any

randomized controlled studies of massage

on women to facilitate a more enhanced

rapid healing response...

An important consideration for those with

low pain thresholds might be to find out

how well the post-surgical care unit at the

hospital issuing privileges to the surgeon are functioning.

How well is the unit staffed? Is pain management a priority?

How well does the attending surgeon address

post-pain management? Do insurance codes address

non-medical intervention, ie massage?

Does enhanced post-surgical pain management techniques and

a quality surgical experience result in

increased satisfaction, patient recommendation

and referral?

Whoops, I missed my 3pm tee-off

at the golf course.

Marsh

> Batting ideas like this around, helps me see things from a

different angle – so maybe these thoughts of mine will help shape

some helpful ideas for others to share with the group.

> Anyone game?