A Doula's Bag of Tricks

I interviewed with two more potential clients last week and was asked a familiar line of questions by both parties.  What does a doula actually DO during labor?  How will you be helping us?    Great question.  When attending a birth, most doulas bring a bag filled with all manner of items intended to comfort both mom and partner during the labor and delivery.   While I won't post an exhaustive list of all the sundry items in my bag, I thought I would highlight a few of the key items to give you a better picture of how a birth doula provides physical comfort on the big day. 

• Jojoba Oil.  One of the most popular forms of comfort is massage.  Jojoba oil is great for this purpose as a little goes a long way and is non-comedogenic.  
• A kneeling pad.  The doula and/or the partner often spend some time kneeling during labor.  A kneeling pad will keep those knees from aching!
• TENS unit.  Trancutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation units are usually used for lower back pain during labor.
• Towels, rice socks for heat and cold, stress/squeeze balls, breath mints and many, many other items have found their way into my bag. 

Other doulas out there... what's in your bag?