If I were April, the giraffe's, Doula...

You have probably come across the live-feed of April, the giraffe from Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, NY. There has been over 600K views on this video, some viewers watching for hours at a time, and others a few minutes or just scrolling right by it.

There's been some talk about April in some doula community boards about what and how this giraffe should be supported. You may even be able to spot some doulas by their comments on the video's posts'. Well, here is a glimpse of how I would support April, if I was here doula: 

I would have already known her birthing preferences through our prenatal visits.

I would know if she wanted physical support, like counter pressure or massage with the understanding that this preference may change throughout her labor.

I would know whether she wanted her family, friends, and strangers present during the entire time, just labor, or just the birth and what her vision of their role would be (yes, all 600K+ viewers).

I’d encourage her to rest.

We’d dim the lights and play some relaxing music, if that’s what she preferred.

I would make sure she had plenty of fluids to keep her hydrated.

I’d walk around with her in her stall as many times as she wanted.  

I’d ask her how she felt with everyone present at her birth, and if she needed some alone time.

I would encourage her to rest, yet again, if she’s able to.

We’d play a game of checkers, or tic-tac-toe to distract from early labor.

Or we’d watch a funny movie, like Bad Moms.

I would be a sounding board for her to express her thoughts, feelings, and concerns as she’s waiting for the birth of her calf.

We’d go over birth affirmations, if that helped her.

If I were April’s doula, I’d support her through her labor just the way she needed me to.  

Why? Because at Rogue Valley Doulas we offer this type of quality support.  

If this is the kind of support you're wanting for your upcoming or next birth, contact us! We'd love to chat with you.