I never thought that I'd be considering having a doula. I don't have anything against the practice, it's just not something that I pictured for myself. I always associated doula with "non-traditional" types of birth practices (in the water, at home, etc., etc.), and I'm very much a traditional, in a hospital with a doctor kind of girl. But then I started talked to other pregnant ladies... one of which pointed me toward a doula certification school where the student doulas actually work pro bono. Then I started to think about it. Free is always good... especially if I'm not sure if I'm not
sure about the whole thing. So, I sent an e-mail to the school, and one of the students responded. Jacob and I met with her today.
I was kind of surprised by her.. but in a good way. =) Again, my stereotypes and preconceived notions were thrown to the wayside when she showed up with wearing a classy ponytail, an argyle cardigan and a pencil skirt. She kind of looked like I do when I go to work. lol She was very nice, and seems like she may be a good fit, personality wise, but she did encourage us to interview other doulas so that we could be sure to pick the best match for us.
Jacob says that he likes the idea of having a doula there... to help and keep him calm when he starts to freak out. lol But, I'm still not sure. I really don't know what's holding me up. Maybe it's the thought of having a "stranger" in the room with us... or just another body in general. I always pictured it as just Jacob and myself in there (with doctor of course). I don't know. I
am such a control freak like being in control of my situation and perhaps I'm concerned that having someone else there may impede upon my ability to advocate for myself. But, at the same time, I may just NEED someone to advocate for me or tell me what to do to make things more comfortable/run smoothly. I'm starting to realize that I have soo many questions/concerns that I don't feel like I have (an un-biased) someone who can answer (neither Jacob nor I have been through this before after all!)
I don't know. Thoughts?? Comments?? Anyone out there use a doula??
1 comment:
Like I mentioned on FB, I would definitely consider a doula in the future. While Matt did a wonderful job of helping me out and even was able to catch Grace and such, he also had to worry about calling our families and other logistics outside of birth. A doula, at least from my understanding, would be there with you 100% of the time and is just focused on helping you, not running around taking measurements like nurses and drs might be doing. As far as privacy goes, by the end you probably won't care if an entire class is watching you since you'll be so focused on getting your little girl out. :-)
Whatever you decide, just go with what feels right!
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