Being Born Into Parenthood
This week, we welcome Adriana Lozada, a woman of many accomplishments and talents including the remarkable brand Birthful, and assisting in over 150 births as a doula. Adriana sheds some light on what exactly a doula is, why a couple may want one, the benefits of having a doula, and how to decide which doula is right for your specific needs and desires.
Takeaway:
[1:52] Along with creating and running Birthful, Adriana is a birth doula, a postpartum educator, a sleep consultant, and co-author of Soy de Pura Madre, a half autobiography (written by well-known Venezuela actress and radio host, Ana María Simón), half pregnancy guide (written by Adriana), in Spanish.
[5:14] Adriana has been a doula for 13 years and loves sharing information on what it entails and the possibilities it provides that may help the birth experience.
[5:17] There are many types of doulas (birth, fertility, postpartum — to name a few), and they all have the core value of giving physical, emotional, and informational support. Adriana likes to liven up the definition, and thinks of doulas as “birth fairies that have research to back it up.”
[10:56] Adriana’s goal is to have the woman/couple have the best birth experience depending on their personal vision and foster the feeling of consent and empowerment in their own decisions.
[16:52] Doulas create space for the couple to empower themselves and make their own decisions, as opposed to feeling that things were chosen and done for them.
[19:04] There is a doula out there for everybody, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. The most important thing is how you feel and ‘click’ with the person. In the organization Adriana has her certification under, DONA, speaking and deciding for the woman is out-of-scope.
[23:02] If your medical provider is not recommending you have a doula, dig deeper and find out why they feel that way and what their hesitations are.
[24:46] It’s never too late to get a doula, but the earlier you can do it the more benefits you gain. Adriana prefers contacting your potential doula 12-20 weeks to develop a relationship and discuss fears, hopes, and desires.
[28:36] Adriana describes her philosophy on nonlinear birthing and the physiological stages that come with a safe and protected birthing environment.
[33:36] Adriana assigns “homework” using a four-stage birth model to give women a tangible way to support and trust their body. The four stages of her model are: physical, chemical, mental, and emotional.
[35:46] The skills we value in our professional and everyday life such as being effective, organized, clean, and tidy in our ‘everyday,’ aren’t the top ones that help us for birthing and parenting. Instead, messiness, uncertainty, patience, intuition, and trust in the process are key.
[42:10] Adriana discusses the “pregnancy hangover” in postpartum when we are over-touched, and undervalued. She has created a postpartum vacation plan, where women and couples can focus on getting to know and taking care of their baby.
[55:38] Adriana’s one piece of advice for expecting couples “explore things with curiosity.”
References:
Safe Prevention of the Primary Cesarean Delivery
Approaches to Limit Intervention During Labor and Birth
Rethinking the Pushing Stage, with Whapio
Thrive with Your Newborn — use the code FERTILITY for 25% discount. Along with creating and running Birthful, Adriana is a birth doula, a postpartum educator, a sleep consultant, and co-author of Soy de Pura Madre, a half autobiography (written by well-known Venezuela actress and radio host, Ana María Simón), half pregnancy guide (written by Adriana), in Spanish.
Disclaimer * You must not rely on the information in this podcast as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website or in this podcast.