1 Wear flat shoes or shoes with low heels (1 inch or lower). 2  Lift with your knees, not your back!  Use sturdy shoes with a good tread. All the weight will be on your legs, which are strong muscles, and by extension on your feet. Good shoes will help to prevent accidents.
A birth doula is a trained labor coach who assists you during labor and delivery. She provides you with continuous emotional support, as well as assistance with other non-medical aspects of your care. Doulas charge several hundred to a thousand dollars for their services, which are seldom covered by health insurance.
We also get a few private Doulas, but mostly people use the hospital doulas. Our hospital actually has an entire staff of Doulas. You can hire them through the hospital and we can get and on call doula for anyone that we think is in need of one. Because of this service we see Doulas several times a week.