Doulas, Diapers & Early Days - Part 1

Just a quick post today because I'm running late to get myself ready, my dog to the vet, and myself to the OB. On the cusp of my third trimester with my second child, my hubby and I once again sought the expertise of our wonderful doula. Aside from talking birth plans, meeting up with her again also gave me the opportunity to check up on a personal project of hers, advocating for doula services for incarcerated women giving birth in the hospital.

As a former state hospital PT, I have had some exposure to working with prisoners. Most often (simply because of the area of PT in which I practiced), I saw young men who had sustained spinal cord injuries due to violent crime. Most often, they came to us because of infected wounds (people without sensation are at high risk of getting wounds because they can't feel them). They were often shackled to the bed throughout their stay. If they were capable of walking, they either had to do so in shackles, or with heavy police escort.

It was (atrocious) news to me that pregnant women were given the same treatment during labor, and that typically the only "support" in the room with them (other than the medical team) are armed guards. Anyone who has given birth understands that this essentially amounts to torture. Our doula and many others around the country have been passionately advocating to change this policy. Doing a little research on the internet, I found blogger and author "Radical Doula" (the name alone meant I couldn't pass up linking). She has some great articles on the policy and changes in state legislation to address this issue.

Thumbnail image courtesy of the New York Public Library Digital Collection.