Boutique Birthing in Tulsa

Having lived in Oklahoma the vast majority of my life, I’m fully aware that whether it’s fashion or politics, Oklahoma is one of the last places in the United States to jump on the bandwagon. Having been a Childbirth Consultant and Doula since 2007, I have seen this first-hand with many different trends in the birthing world; however, it looks like Tulsa just might be on the front end of the latest curve!

Changing Trends in Childbirth

At one time it was Twilight Sleep, then came men in the delivery rooms, then the Natural Childbirth Movement, and even Evidence Based Medicine Movement which spurred the creation of the Cochrane Library and others. We now have a new and very interesting trend happening across the U.S. Boutique Birthing is one of the newest trends to hit childbirth.

This boutique experience caters to the physical and emotional needs of birthing families by way of meeting material needs of comfort. The idea is that by offering amenities such as nice toiletries, comfortable bed linens, custom robes, refrigerators in the hospital room, and upscale meals, hospitals and birthing centers can make the childbirth experience more comfortable for parents. In fact, one hospital in Fargo, North Dakota is now offering Birth Designer services for their patients with high thread count sheets and massage treatments for an extra fee.

The Value of Boutique Birthing

As a doula, I meet a unique need of birthing families that cannot always be offered by the trusted care providers that attend to the medical needs of the women and babies. While their main objective is to keep mother and baby medically safe, my job is to keep her and her partner calm, confident and comfortable. By working collaboratively with hospitals, nurses, doctors and midwives, doulas can actually help the medical providers do their jobs better by making sure the emotional needs of the family are covered with the continuous support we offer.

I see Boutique Birthing as another way medical providers can help ease the anxiety of birthing women and their partners in the childbirth process. Childbirth is a time where a woman doesn’t want to feel like a sick person, and yet she wants the safety and security at her birthing facility. Doulas have encouraged a type of boutique experience for many years, by encouraging clients to create a comfortable environment with supportive people, dimmed lighting, aromatherapy or even relaxing music and clothing of their choice.

I recently had the opportunity to tour the labor and delivery unit of Hillcrest South with some other doulas in Tulsa and got to see first hand what Boutique Birthing can look like. Hillcrest has a Labor of Love program that is offered for FREE to Tulsa families.

Amenities include:

• Childbirth and Breastfeeding Classes
• Free Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Classes (Prenatal Yoga is one of my top recommendations for my clients!)
• Evening snack carts with fruit and other healthy snacks for mothers and their guests
• Dancing for Birth Classes (these are AMAZING)
• Free hotel-like gifts and perks

Check out some of these beautiful ways Hillcrest South is pampering mothers in South Tulsa:

As more and more hospitals move toward this kind of patient-centered care in our country, and more labor and delivery centers pursue baby-friendly status, medical providers realize the need to care for patients as the unique individuals they are.

We are so thankful to India Jackson, the Labor and Delivery Coordinator, Krista, Christel, and all the other amazing staff at Hillcrest South for showing us around.

What trends are you noticing in childbirth and what kind of questions do you have about it? I’d love to know!

See you around town,

Missy David, the Honeybee Mama