the kids aren't into sex and drugs anymore

Covid-19 has dangerously impacted mothers or mothers to-be.

The COVID-19 pandemic is already indirectly threatening breastfeeding practices (early initiation and exclusive and continued breastfeeding). Universal breastfeeding could prevent 823 000 child deaths per year, but reductions in breastfeeding have occurred due to limitations in the provision and use of health services and disruptions to the enabling environment- no skin to skin contact, wearing a mask and mother is stressed after birth, unnecessary covid procedures and medical interventions.

An extra 267,000 infants will likely have died in 2020 in low and middle income countries as a result of the economic downturn caused by COVID-19.

Global maternal and fetal outcomes have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an increase in maternal deaths, stillbirth, ruptured ectopic pregnancies, and maternal depression.

Women have been denied a midwife or doula in the delivery room and sometimes even their partner, despite it being a violation of medical rights. How has this impacted women’s birthing experience?

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly intensified anxiety among women due to give birth. WOMEN NEED SUPPORT. Being forced to give birth alone has increased birth trauma in mothers. Tell me this is humane and morally right?

“I just left a doctors appointment where I was told to prepare myself that my husband would not be at the birth of my child, and that I should buy an iPad so we can video him in,” she said. “While I understand what the hospitals are going through right now and how precious supplies are, I don’t understand their reasoning around this. It is honestly just cruel and inhumane.”

forcible separation from newborns and being prevented from breastfeeding – despite no evidence that breast milk can transmit coronavirus. procedures performed without their consent, including caesarean sections, induced labour and episiotomies, to speed up labour.

openDemocracy has identified cases of “traumatic” experiences in at least 45 countries that contravene World Health Organization (WHO) guidance, and some national laws. In at least six countries, pregnant women have also died after COVID-19 restrictions reportedly prevented or delayed access to emergency services.

It’s a little-known fact that a well-trained midwife can actually provide almost 90% of the health and medical support and services pregnant women and new mothers and their babies need, along with serving as advocates on other women’s health and rights issues and increase a positive birthing experience by 60%- women who have a midwife or doula experience little to no anxiety during labor, have a greater postpartum recovery, over 60% end up not tearing and c-section rates plummet as well as unnecessary medical interventions which increase chances to breastfeeding, decrease lower costs, and reduce labor induction.

More and more pregnant women are considering at-home births in response to coronavirus-related changes in hospital visitor policies.- this is a good thing. Mistreatment towards pregnant women has always been an issue but with covid-19 it has risen dramatically. OBs using fear tactics on pregnant women and same with nursing staff and doctors in the delivery room. So many of these things could have been avoided if it weren’t for such restrictive policies where it’s a one size fits all.

https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/18785082.tv-highlight-prepared-laughs-taskmaster-returns-screens/

Alex and Greg discuss Daisy May Coopers advanced pregnancy and their concern that her fits of laughter would be her going in to labour.

"When we got to about episode 9, we're thinking: 'Well now, this would be a good story'... we'd have been the worst at delivering a baby," says Horne.

"We are not a good paramedic team. You wouldn't want this combination turning up in an emergency," agrees Davies.

As for whether the pair would ever consider brushing up on their first aid skills?

"When you're giving birth, you don't want a man with a stopwatch and another man shouting... Maybe this interview could answer that question? Maybe women giving birth could let us know if that's what they actually needed? Maybe we'll become professional birthing partners?

"I'm ready. Call my agent."

And since I read this I can't get this idea out of my head. Because, you know what? As a pair I think they would be excellent doulas.

Yes, Alex seems to be embarrassed and uncomfortable with any sort of contact with women (other than his wife, I'm presuming). And it wouldn't be ideal if he approached a woman in labour with the same energy he had when he ate the mask off of Katherine Ryans' face.

But! Someone with a stopwatch is really really good to have around during delivery. It's very helpful to time the contractions. And I think Alex is a meticulous orderly man with a sense for details. There are things that needs to be done at certain intervals, in specific phases, and that it is important to keep track of.

Yes, one would want him to have read a book of some kind on the subject before it starts, but he has three children, which makes me think he once read all the books about it. And having a calm person with a clipboard and a stopwatch keeping track on what's going on and thinking about what's going to come next is a really good thing.

When it comes to Greg shouting it very much depends on what he's shouting about.

During hospital delivery being an advocate for the person giving birth is a very important job, and I for one wouldn't have minded one bit having someone on hand that could if necessary bellow down hospital corridors for help, or who could glare threateningly at people for me when needed. Being in labour is a very vulnerable process, and a strong support network is important.

But I don’t think he would shout that much. When Jessica Knappet fell off the stage he lunged forward immediately to check on her and help her up. No shouting at all, and no hesitation.

Most of all Greg could be an absolutely awesome physical support. There is a lot of leaning on people and getting around in increasingly difficult and ridiculous positions. Kneeling, squatting, laying on your back with your knees up, standing on all four - all the while having contractions, being in pain, and with a cumbersome, heavy body. Giving birth is a miracle, but a rather awkward business all around. So having Greg there, a great cuddler with massive strength, would be perfect. He could support and hold up and be safe to lean on.

The pain part is important too. Both of them seem fine with the two things that tends to be the most discouraging when it comes to giving birth. The first one is that it's painful, and the other one is that it is messy.

Gregs' happy sadistic chuckles might not really come in to play when it's this kind of pain, but I can't really imagine him freaking out about it either. He seems to be able to bear other peoples discomfort in a perfectly calm and balanced way, whether it's physical or emotional. Yes Alex of course, but in the Taskmaster-setting I also come to think of when Iain Sterling found it genuinely hard when his volcano fizzled out. Greg dropped it and moved on, neither stressed about it nor pushing the issue.

Alex is the one who thought up and carried through with tasks that for example required people to roll through geese droppings, drink vinegar with a straw, rub onion and chilli in their eyes, crawl with bare legs over gravel and just generally be uncomfortable, stressed out or in pain.

While he observed them holding a stopwatch and a clipboard. That makes me very calm when it comes to his ability to endure standing with his clipboard and observe the painful and absurd process of childbirth without freaking out.

And the messy part shouldn't face either of them. During a birth there will most probably be every kind of bodily fluid; feces, vomit, urine, blood, everything. But on the other hand, the same is true about any series of Taskmaster.

For better and for worse I wont be giving birth to any more babies, so I wont be able to test this theory. But if Alex and Greg set up shop as professional birthing partners I will definitiely recommend them to my pregnant friends.

Feel free to reply here or message me, and also feel free to only answer the questions you’re comfortable answering!

1. At what point in your pregnancy did you start looking for a doula?

2. When did you actually start contacting doulas/booking consultations?

3. What were the most important things you looked for in a doula?

4. What was your price range/what did you end up paying?

5. What was the most important thing your doula did for you?

(I’m considering starting my own doula practice, but at least starting out I can only take moms who are due in June or July, so I want to figure out when I should pay for advertising so I get the best value for my money).

Many of the reasons why these pregnant mothers are contemplating a home birth now are the same as they were before COVID hit. They want a more personalized, less institutionalized birth experience. They want more control over the labor and delivery process. They want to be surrounded by a supportive birthing team, including family members, friends, and perhaps their other children, in addition to their midwives. They don’t want to be separated from their baby at any time. They may pay more in hospital co-pays and deductibles for maternity care than they would for a home birth. They recognize that for most healthy women, birth is a life event—not a medical one.

According to Kimball, COVID has increased the desirability of home birthing. She says that pregnant women may now feel more uneasy during their prenatal care, with the heightened focus on COVID protocols when consulting with their healthcare provider. They may not want to get tested for COVID in the hospital, and have to wear a mask during labor and delivery. They may not like the idea of keeping that mask on during their postpartum hospital stay, creating an artificial barrier to bonding with their baby. They may not want their newborn exposed to hospital germs, including COVID.

Prior to the pandemic, interest in out-of-hospital births was growing in the US. It is estimated that about 62,000 of the roughly 4 million US births in 2017 occurred at home or in a freestanding birth center, and the number of US out-of-hospital births increased by almost 80% between 2004 and 2017.