Hellobee Boards

Yes!

Doulas can absolutely be beneficial to epidural mamas. I'm a doula and I have lots of clients who plan on epidurals, and I still am able to do quite a lot for them. I help them cope with early labor before they get their epidural, and then assist them in positions that are epidural-friendly that keep labor progressing quickly and smoothly.
I also stay for a bit postpartum to help establish breastfeeding, etc.

Full disclosure, I am a doula, so I might be little biased! But yes! Even if you 100% know you want an epidural, there are so many things a doula can support you in. Laboring prior to getting the epidural (both at home and at the hospital), figuring out the best time to go ahead with the epidural, talking through any other "interventions" that may be presented, helping with epidural-friendly labor positions, etc. Not to mention the prenatal visits before birth, and the postpartum support immediately following and in the weeks after.

If cost is a major concern, you can check out student doulas and doulas in training!

Are you planning to delay the epi or get one as soon as you get to the hospital?

@Arden: I wish you could have been my doula!

@78h2o: I come whenever mom feels like she needs me. I've come to mamas homes in early labor and helped them through 40 hours of prodromal labor before they finally began progressing and we headed to the hospital.
Typically though, I come to the house whenever labor starts getting real and we tend to head to the hospital anywhere from 1-4 hours after that, depending in how mama feels.

My contract says that I'm there as long as you need me, but if it extends passed 18 hours I need a break to sleep for my own health. Some doulas have backups they call in, just in case.

I've stayed with one woman for 49 hours before (I napped on her couch periodically, and in the hospital after she got her epidural).

@Arden: @IRunForFun: Thank you! I think I will look into it some more!

I just bumped into my doula tonight while she was on the way to see a client!

I had a doula and ended up with a c-section. I was planning a natural birth in a birth center and I felt like I actually needed my doula more navigating the hospital.

Are you going to get an epidural right away? Do you have sliding scale doulas in your area? Could you afford to hire a doula who was recently trained and needs to attend births?

I can't say enough great things about having a doula!

My doula was a rock star. I highly recommend one no matter what kind of birth you're planning!

I realized I forgot to say, a doula would not make you feel bad about your decision for a medicated delivery! That's not something you should worry about.

@blackbird was in this exact situation and had a doula, wall her?

I agree with @looch. Even depending on what kind of doctor your doctor is, you may not NEED a doula.

I had one for my unmedicated birth and the one I hired couldn't get there in time for my medicated birth (my fault for not phoning her in time!!). Anyway, my doctor is extremely attentive and was very supportive of my birth choices, so I don't think I really NEEDED a doula. Even had my doctor been there earlier, she would have prevented me from having a medicated birth which is what I wanted a doula for.

Why don't you take some childbirth classes and then see how you feel?

I had a doula even though I knew I wanted an epidural. I ended up being induced. She came to the hospital a few hours after my meds were started.....they put something in my cervix and my water started leaking around 1am, so they started me on pitocin and that's when she came. I didn't want an epidural right away--i wanted to labor through a bit to help speed things up. So she was really helpful since I didn't get an epidural until I was dilated to a 9. I labored overnight and honestly, the nurses left me alone entirely. Their job is not to sit in your room the entire time and help you. And DH obviously didn't know what to do. She moved the hospital bed up and down for me, suggested positions, and applied pressure to my back and helped DH apply heating bags or massage where needed.

When I finally got the epidural, I distinctly remember my doula saying, "i'm so glad you did. I think you would have been in excrutiating pain with that baby sitting on your sciatic nerves the way she was". I pushed for 2.5 hours and she held one leg--DH had the other--and was really helpful in general. I had an OB in a very baby/mom friendly hospital and while they advertised that their nurses had been trained by doulas, it's not like they're with you 24/7.

I think a doula could definitely be valuable with an epidural (especially if you're terrified of childbirth). That being said, I personally wouldn't have had one with my medicated birth. It was fairly quick and easy and I'm not sure where/how they could have added value for me. I also didn't have strong fears about it. But, you have no way of knowing any of that beforehand, so you have to take your chances! I have never heard someone say that they regretted having a doula.