I wouldn’t want to go through labour without a birth ball! Birth balls can quickly become your best friend when you need comfort, support or just something to lean on, helping to make labour less stressful.

But the benefits of a birth ball come into play long before labour starts. During pregnancy you can trade your chair for a birth ball when sitting in front of the computer, watching TV or at the table.

Using one can help strengthen your lower back while supporting your pelvis and keeping it symmetrical. Make sure you sit on the ball so your feet are flat and apart, making a tripod with the centre of the ball. The ball should be firm and big enough so that your hips are equal or higher than your knees. Make sure you have a support beside you – a table or chair – it’s not a good time to lose your balance and slide across the floor!

It’s not recommended to bounce on your ball until full term as this can cause baby’s head to press on your cervix and start labour. If your waters have broken and there are no contractions, gentle circles can help get baby’s head on the cervix to get them started. Try to keep the circles nice and smooth and regular – maybe try doing them to music! I suggest keeping it up for 20 minutes and change directions periodically.

As early labour progresses into active labour you might want to kneel or lean forward onto the ball. The ball acts as a mobile support for your upper body and this position enables you to rock forward and back, side to side or do gentle circles during contractions. It’s a surprisingly soothing motion and takes the strain off your wrists when you are in a hands and knees position.

Spinningbabies.com is one of my favourite sites for tips and advice to get the baby into the best position for birth.

They suggest using a birth ball to help a labouring mother who finds she is unable to stand.

The mother sits on the birthing bed and bends her knees and touches the soles of her feet together. The birth ball is placed in the space between her knees and she leans forward to hug the ball. The foot of the birthing bed can be lowered a little to make this more comfortable. With a support person each side to take the weight and prevent her falling, she rocks side to side. This vigorous exercise shifts the asynclitic (where the head is tipped as if listening) or posterior baby lower through the pelvis. It also helps the baby to descend if the angle of the head is making it difficult.

One woman I helped as a doula wanted to sit on the ball while she pushed. She didn’t want to be in bed or stand or sit on a birthing stool. Her midwife was a little concerned about the baby’s shoulders becoming stuck, as had happened in a previous birth, but when the time came for the baby to emerge, the mother just angled her pelvis forward while I held her from behind and the baby slipped into the midwife’s hands. I realize now that she did a posterior pelvic tilt when flipping her hips towards the midwife which is a nice ‘shoulder-release’ position!

The picture below shows a great use of your ball in the final stages. You are supported, your body can move, your support person can massage your back and you are in a good position for baby to emerge.

And the benefits don’t stop after your baby arrives! Birth balls are great for gentle postnatal exercise routines and to sit on while soothing a crying baby. Just remember to have support close by and watch your balance.

My “baby” is now a big grown up girl of 12 but I still use my birth ball on a daily basis! I find it is great to sit on when brushing my hair and applying my makeup and I often choose it over a traditional chair to rest my legs for a while. Why not give one a try?! sit on when brushing my hair and applying my makeup and I often choose it over a traditional chair to rest my legs for a while. Why not give one a try?!

If ever there was a woman who needed birth support, Eve was that woman. When you think of it, the garden would have made an awesome setting, pity her and Adam got kicked out! I’m sure they both would have benefited from some doula support right from the first niggle and been empowered with some knowledge as to what lay ahead and what they could both expect.

Because there is a lot we can do!

By providing a calm setting, encouraging words, and comfort measures, doulas can reduce any fear for both woman and partner; thus decreasing the anxiety and adrenalin effect, and allowing oxytocin to flow naturally. We can empower women by showing them how to access relevant evidence-based information so they are in turn empowered to make informed decisions. We can give dignity and comfort to those who otherwise would have laboured alone or with little support.

I personally find so much value in my antenatal visits which can often include coffee in a cafe, a walk on the boardwalk or meeting in my client's home. This isn't a quick, clinical, 15 minute appointment but a time to talk and allow feelings of anxiousness, past experiences, or expectations to surface.

The involvement of a doula in labour and birth has been proven women have less need for pain relief and medical interventions, reducing the need for caesarean sections ( saving the local health board money, too!). We also lessen the need for midwives to be available in early labour, which eases their considerable workload.

After delivery we can be there to offer advice and guidance in caring for baby - a lifeline for the first-time mother struggling to deal with this huge responsibility placed upon her. We can also be there in the sad occurrence of still-birth with empathy and support.

I am a great believer of changing the current medicalised birth system from within. Once mothers have tasted and experienced a ‘natural’ birth, received support and care that nourishes them, and seen the difference we make – they are hooked. They become our best allies spreading the word about our awesome service.

In summary, our purpose is so multi faceted as it relates individually and personally to the needs and desires of so many different women and their partners.

We offer not only our training, knowledge and own experience but an ability to respond to and empathise with each woman as an individual and each couple as a unique unit.

Such is our value that I believe it should be available to every woman which is why I am willing to offer payment plans to those who need them and also open to a bartering option if the need arises.

Poor Eve labouring alone with just a clueless Adam to help. I am profoundly grateful no woman needs to do that again if we doulas can help it!

I'm Carol and I'm your Taranaki doula! I thought I would share a little a bit about me, and what I have been up to!

For the last two years I have had a paid volunteer role as the antenatal convenor for the Parents Centre in New Plymouth. During this time I taught the comfort measures component and facilitated a role play explaining how hormones affect labour.

I am also peer support volunteer for Tui Ora and attend a drop in clinic once a fortnight and enjoy meeting and giving Mums breast feeding support.

I love learning more and have attended seminars – some online but I love the excuse to travel . Topics have included Postnatal Depression, Māori birth practices, Breastfeeding Issues, Pelvic floor …there are many opportunities out there and are a great way to network, spread the doula word and be encouraged.

I have joined Active Birth Taranaki who are running a four week series called Choices in Childbirth starting April 24th. I am taking the comfort measures class which includes a role play of hormones in birth. Each couple receives a goodie bag and brochure with comfort measure ideas and what I offer as a doula.

Recently I partnered with SupportingHerto help promote their antenatal classes for partners. Here is a preview for you…

Being a great support to a mother in labor can be challenging. The goal of this class is to help prepare you for this role by equipping you with ideas, tools and strategies.The class is designed specifically for partners, but can certainly be viewed as a couple!In just under 2 hours, the following topics are covered:defining your role in laborthe timeline of labor, birth and the postpartum periodhow to effectively give encouragementtaking care of yourselfhow to communicate with care providers and hospital staffdealing with the unexpected

Offering my doula services through Timebank Taranaki is another venture I am trying out. I think the idea of bartering for a service is great as I would like to help everyone I can, even if they might not be able to afford a doula. Looking forward to seeing where it leads.

Keeping busy and feeling productive (as well as a glass of red wine and a movie!) are some of my passions and I am loving and flowing in something much bigger and rewarding than I could ever imagine.

I love feedback – let me know your thoughts!

Bye for now…