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September 2012 Moms
gingerfamily
member
Doula
gingerfamily
member
I'm just starting to interview doulas and was curious. Is anyone else planning on using one?
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Re: Doula
Had one with my first, best money I ever spent!!
OP: I'm using a doula! My midwife was my doula first time around because I ended up having a c-section (due to my son being breech). My doula this time is a friend of mine, and we'd already discussed it so I contacted her around 4 weeks to let her know when she'd be busy.
Here is a question page from DONA: https://www.dona.org/PDF/QuestionsToAskADoula.pdf
Hi. I am a doula!
Doulas provide support for you and your significant other through labor and delivery. You can find doulas in your area by doing a search (for instance, doula milwaukee, wi) or by asking around if you know anyone who has used one. You can interview several before deciding, and fees range from students who are free to...it depends on the area. Some areas $600 is the most I've heard of. In big metro areas (LA, NY), it is more like $1800.
Generally women who want a doula want a less or non-medicated birth with few interventions. Doulas help with pain management and coping so there is less need for meds.
Doulas vary some, but in my case, I meet with a pregnant woman/couple at least twice before birth, and I'm available via email or phone to answer any questions. I lend or recommend books and resources. I try to get to know the woman well enough to be able to read her during labor and better help her. I can be called at any point in labor that the woman or couple needs me, and I will go to the house to help the woman labor until she is ready to go to the hospital. Laboring at home for as long as possible (there are signs for when it is time to go....I've never had anyone deliver outside of a hospital who didn't plan a home birth) means that you are at the hospital less time, and if you have a longer labor (normal), that means doctors and nurses arent' trying to rush you along with cervidil, pitocin, breaking your water, etc.
Doulas stay for generally an hour after birth to help in any way they can. They then follow up a week or two later after the mama is at home for another visit, to talk to the mom about her birth in anyway that she needs, help her with her birth story, answer questions about newborns, etc.
Doulas aren't meant to replace S/Os, but to help both of you. If your partner gets tired, the doula can help out more while he/she rests or gets something to eat. The doula can also tell the partner how to better assist the laboring woman, as it isn't all intuitive.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask! I have to go put my son to bed now so that was kinda rushed.
Just so you know, a doula would never judge you if you change your mind midway through, and it wouldn't make her role pointless. One thing I talk about with clients is how much they want me to talk them out of meds and if they want to have a "safeword" that means, "No really, give me the damn meds!!" One helpful thing is it is actually a sign that you are in transition for you to say things like, "I can't do this anymore" and reminding women of that during labor tends to help a lot...it means they are almost done!
Anyway, it is important that you feel connected and safe with your doula, because she is going to see you in a very vulnerable state and you want her to be comforting to you, so interview a few if you decide to go that route!
We just hired a doula recently, we used those questions to help us interview. We chose a doula certified in Hypnobabies to help both of us stay on track with that, so I would suggest looking for a doula who knows a lot about your chosen method.
The second quote is the other big reason we chose to hire a doula. That way I will never have to be alone, but DH can go and eat, use the restroom, talk to doctors etc. We don't want this to be stressful for either of us.