Learning CPR

Today I attended a free adult, child, and infant CPR class hosted at a friend's house. The wonderful trainer, Paula, noted that though she has trained doulas here and there, she's surprised at how few doulas seek out CPR training. It seems to her, and to me, that being trained in this area would be part of the general requirements for a doula, but it's not so.

I have been at a birth where the baby needed to be resuscitated just after birth, and I was thankful that I was not the only other person in the room. The midwife and midwife assistant were quick to respond to the baby's obvious slow start in a way that impressed me beyond words. But what if I had been there long before the midwives had arrived and baby decided to greet the world in my arms instead of her's? I took CPR years ago and learned a little about what to do in that situation if there is trouble, but I'm the type that likes to be way more prepared than that!

That situation does happen to doulas every now and again and so we should all be prepared by having infant CPR training. Very often local fire departments will hold free CPR trainings a few times a month. It is easy enough to call up your local station and ask if they offer CPR and First Aid, how much it might cost, and if there isn't training available through them, if there is another local station that does offer it.

And this doesn't just apply to doulas! Everyone could benefit from this knowledge, parents, babysitters, and teachers especially. Sure, we've all watched episodes of Baywatch where someone was given mouth-to-mouth so we may know a few things about CPR via cultural osmosis, but the standard procedures for CPR have changed in the last several months, reflecting new, evidenced-based techniques. Having better knowledge of these changes and getting some practice on a test dummy could literally be the difference when it comes to saving someone's life.

Visit the American Heart Association's site on CPR to learn more!