Yes, and....
So, before I became a doula I worked in the world of theatre. Before I had my kids I was an apprentice and manager at this theatre. I loved the work, but relized early on I wasn't nearly self-centered enough to become an actor. I love actors, but lots of them are head cases. I am way to pragmaitc to live job to job and suffer for my art. I did that for a while, but then decided I had had enough.
During my training in the theatre, I did have some exposure to improv. Improv really scared the crap out of me as an actor. I was (and am) fascinated by those people who could just make stuff up on the spot. I always felt more comfortable with a script. Then I took a class and learned the rule of "Yes, and.." That means you accecpt the situation and add to it. It is the basis of improv. I had no idea at the time that this would come in so handy as a doula!
After I had my son, I realized that birth is one great big improvisation! As a good first-time mom, I dutifly wrote a birth plan (my script) and planned for my birth. As you might imagine, my birth didn't go the way I imagined. My water broke, there was meconium in the fluid and so my birth plan flew immediately out the window. No laboring at home, off to the hospital we went.
As I was entering into this improv, I tried to remember my rule of "yes, and..."(it wasn't easy). Yes, my contractions weren't starting on their own, and I was going to have to be induced. Yes, my baby was in a posterior position and I was having back labor. Yes, my labor was dragging on over 24 hours and I needed some rest. And guess what, I opted for an epidural. Was any of this in my birth plan? No, but this was the situation I had been presented with and my husband and I did our best with improvising our way to meeting our baby.
I try to apply "yes, and..." to the births I attend as a doula. When I am presented with a situation in a labor, I try to accept it and then use my experience and training by bringing something to the scene at hand. At the most recent birth I attended, the doctor proclaimed the woman was having a "prodromal labor". This was announced to me by doulicia (she has an eloquent post about the entire birth). I hadn't entered into the scene yet; I had met doulicia as I was coming off the elevator. She looked tired and a little defeated. She explaned that she was feeling a deja vous from her last client. Same hospital, same diagnosis, same room, same nurse! I could tell she needed a boost. I listened to what she said, accecpted the situation, but in a way broke my rule! I said "Let's not do prodromal labor today". In thinking about it afterward, I realized that I didn't technically break the rule. We as doulas, just added something to the scene. There are so many different variables in labor that send off different chain reactions! Sometimes you can change the dynamic by taking a left turn. By saying, "yes, but how about this instead....."
During my training in the theatre, I did have some exposure to improv. Improv really scared the crap out of me as an actor. I was (and am) fascinated by those people who could just make stuff up on the spot. I always felt more comfortable with a script. Then I took a class and learned the rule of "Yes, and.." That means you accecpt the situation and add to it. It is the basis of improv. I had no idea at the time that this would come in so handy as a doula!
After I had my son, I realized that birth is one great big improvisation! As a good first-time mom, I dutifly wrote a birth plan (my script) and planned for my birth. As you might imagine, my birth didn't go the way I imagined. My water broke, there was meconium in the fluid and so my birth plan flew immediately out the window. No laboring at home, off to the hospital we went.
As I was entering into this improv, I tried to remember my rule of "yes, and..."(it wasn't easy). Yes, my contractions weren't starting on their own, and I was going to have to be induced. Yes, my baby was in a posterior position and I was having back labor. Yes, my labor was dragging on over 24 hours and I needed some rest. And guess what, I opted for an epidural. Was any of this in my birth plan? No, but this was the situation I had been presented with and my husband and I did our best with improvising our way to meeting our baby.
I try to apply "yes, and..." to the births I attend as a doula. When I am presented with a situation in a labor, I try to accept it and then use my experience and training by bringing something to the scene at hand. At the most recent birth I attended, the doctor proclaimed the woman was having a "prodromal labor". This was announced to me by doulicia (she has an eloquent post about the entire birth). I hadn't entered into the scene yet; I had met doulicia as I was coming off the elevator. She looked tired and a little defeated. She explaned that she was feeling a deja vous from her last client. Same hospital, same diagnosis, same room, same nurse! I could tell she needed a boost. I listened to what she said, accecpted the situation, but in a way broke my rule! I said "Let's not do prodromal labor today". In thinking about it afterward, I realized that I didn't technically break the rule. We as doulas, just added something to the scene. There are so many different variables in labor that send off different chain reactions! Sometimes you can change the dynamic by taking a left turn. By saying, "yes, but how about this instead....."
posted by T$ at
10:34 AM
1 Comments:
EXCELLENT POST! Great correlation...
Funny--I've never done theatre professionally, only way-not-professionally (community theatre, where you're not even paid in meals.)
I learned that I had personally outgrown my personal need for attention through being a vocalist who pretends to act (and dances if I have to.)
I do know people who are willing to suffer for their art, as you say, and I, like you, am not.
The things I am willing to suffer for are few. I suffer for my family, (I do housework, stay up late worrying over them, get blisters on my knees praying for them) and for women (as they birth, never leaving them for many hours, 15, 20, 25, 30, holding them up as they rock back and forth, holding them as they sit to have an epidrual placed, listening to their cries and wiping their tears.)
Thanks for you blog, T.
Hh
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