CUB, by Michelle Hardy, Milwaukee Doulas

Several months back I heard about the CUB, and thought “what a wonderful design, something easy to take with to the hospital when a birthing stool isn’t available.”  I immediately started asking around within the doula community and did not find any within my local area that had one.  This was very disappointing for me because it sounded like an amazing too. Then I expanded my search and found a few doulas online who owned them, and asked them what they liked about them.  Hands down I heard over and over again that the CUB was a great tool for keep laboring people in an upright position, and like a birth ball it was comfortable as well. 
I am very excited about getting a CUB because I have several goals in mind for what I plan to do with it. First and foremost, I plan on sharing it with clients in the classes I teach.  Currently I teach a seven week childbirth education series with one class being completely focused on labor support techniques.  In this class I plan to devote a section completely to the CUB and how it can be used. In my classes we always talk about staying upright and changing positions, the problem is how do we do that?  Often times women get tired and their choices can be limited, but with the CUB we can easily accomplished being upright and being comfortable.  There are so many positions that it can be used with to encourage labor progress.  One can kneel leaning over it, and with it being in a U shape can provide much more comfort to the laboring person by not applying pressure to the contracting uterus.  In the past the option was to use a birth ball, but I have had many clients say that the pressure of the ball was not comfortable.  The CUB can also be used in an upright position to sit on, and the best part is the height can be customized by choosing to inflate one or two of the levels.  This can be very beneficial not only for fitting the height of the laboring person, but also for the position being utilized.  Does the laboring person want to be in a squatting position?  Sitting upright?  Lunging?  All easily accomplished with the help of the CUB.  The CUB is also a great alternative to a birthing stool which in my area is non existent in labor and delivery.  Not only is it comfortable to sit on, but it’s U shaped design makes it easy for the provider to be able to see what it going on while still allowing the birthing person to be upright, supported, and comfortable. 

My second goal for using the CUB is to take it to births and introduce it to providers by having them actually see clients using it. I have found that it isn’t uncommon for doulas to bring tools into labor and delivery, and when introduced and provided research and positive experiences for that too to then be purchased by the hospital itself.  In my community we saw this happen at one hospital with peanut balls.  As a group of doulas we kept bringing them in and using them, talking about them, and showing staff the benefits of them and suddenly we started to see the hospitals purchasing them for their patients to use.  I hope to see this happen with the CUB as well. 

Finally my other goal is to introduce the CUB to the birth professionals in my area.  Most of them already know the benefits of being upright during labor and birth, but many have not heard of the CUB or have seen it being used.  I would like to change that.  I would like for them to see this not only as a tool to use, but as an essential tool to use in helping their clients not only stay comfortable, but upright and moving as well.  

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