A Doula's Dream... the CUB

By Michelle Hardy, Milwaukee Doulas Wisconsin

A doula’s dream…..one piece of equipment that can serve multiple purposes.  Imagine being able to bring one item in your bag and know that it can support the families that you work with in so many ways.  One item that can help a laboring person stay upright and be comfortable, or be in a squat while still being supported?  What about a tool to lean on that won’t put pressure on the contracting midsection?  Well that one tool is a CUB!
 
Now you might be wondering “what is a CUB?”  Let me tell you….the CUB stands for Comfortable Upright Birth, and it is a tool that is compact enough to carry in your doula bag, and easy enough to blow up and assemble in a few short minutes.  It is soft and comfy for your clients to sit or lean on, or even for use by a partner (or a doula who can’t find a seat). 

​The CUB is U-shaped, and when blown up fully can be used for a laboring person to sit on.  The nice thing is it keeps the laboring person upright, and can even be used for birth in place of a birthing stool.  If you are anything like me….the hospitals you work in might not have laboring stools, so having a CUB available is amazing.  The CUB keeps the birthing person upright, but also stills gives the medical providers access to see what is going on (which is often so important for them).  In comparison to using a squat bar the laboring person’s entire body is supported by the CUB and the body doesn’t have to hold up all of it’s weight while trying to push. 

The CUB can also be partially inflated to make is shorter so that a laboring person feels supported in a squat without feeling all of the pressure on the legs, and what a great way to keep the pelvis open. 
 
The U-shaped design can also be helpful when a laboring person wants to lean forward onto something but doesn’t want the pressure on their midsection. It is soft and pliable enough to be comfortable in comparison to leaning over the back of the bed.  While a birth ball can often be used for this as well the ball, unfortunately does put pressure on the midsection where the CUB provides the space the body needs. 
 
It can also be inflated and leaned into creating a comfortable cradle for full relaxation during labor and birthing.  It can also be a great space for a tired doula to rest if her client is resting or sleeping.  For other doulas, I don’t know about you, but I have propped myself into a corner when the family is sleeping and tried to doze off…..definitely not comfortable!

But it doesn’t just end there…..the CUB can be used during pregnancy as a place to rest and sit.  It helps to keep the expectant person in an upright position helping to foster correct positioning of the baby, and can be used during relaxation practice or for meditation.
The CUB is one amazing tool rolled up into one small and easy to carry package.
  
 The best part is that it comes in a convenient cloth bag, making it small enough to fit into a birth bag, or even carried separately without much effort.  If you haven’t heard of them or seen them I highly suggest you check out their website and consider adding it to your birth bag.  Your clients will love you for it!!!
 
You can also read the original blog here