@tinattt23 Oh, Southern Cal! I thought it might be a region like that with the price. I'm in CA too, but it's so rural that everything here is cheaper, but we don't have as much choice here on doulas for sure. And the same thing happened to me last week! I met with a doula, was pretty excited about it, finally got DH on board (he was kind of worried there would be no role for him with a doula), and then she told me she was booked for the holidays. I must have waited too long to sign. Although, I think there was a warmth from her that was missing that I was looking for. Anyway, I'm back at square one interviewing.
@tinattt23 whether or not you find value in Bradley + doula depends on your entire birth team, location, and personalities of all involved. I took Bradley classes, hired a doula, and still ended up with an epidural, but I don't regret paying for either. is your DH super hands on, intuitive to the point where he can anticipate your needs, and willing to learn more about labor and birth than most people ever want to know? can he advocate for your needs or suggest alternatives when the doctors want to intervene with something that you aren't entirely comfortable with? is he knowledgeable enough to know when a doctor's intervention is the most appropriate course with minimal risk and offer enough assurances to you in your compromised state? is he focused enough under pressure to remember all the techniques? my DH does not fit that bill at all. so a doula was entirely the best decision, he takes direction well but he needed a "lead" in order to really provide me the support I needed.
Yes! This is exactly one of my reasons for wanting a doula. DH thinks he's great in these situations, but the man is not intuitive when I'm in pain. I am 98% sure most of the early labor he will be looking at his phone. He'll probably perk up by the active labor stage, but by then I'll be so pissed at him I won't want the attention. Plus, he's kind of into medicine and I think he'd be all for some interventions that I'm not too keen on, like an episiotomy. He's very trusting when it comes to doctors and he'll kind of go along with whatever they say. We went for an emergency check up a couple weeks ago and he took a phone call from his sister (the catch up and chat kind) and he was gone from the room for 45 minutes while I was hooked up to a heartbeat monitor for the baby. I told him if he did that while I was in labor that I'd give the baby my maiden name.
@SaraRose83 Sorry your doula got booked! I know I was super bummed when it it happened. But I had another interview last night and found someone else I also really like. And this time I knew all the right questions to ask since I knew what I liked about the first one. And I learned my lesson to sign quick You'll find someone. Maybe even better than the first.
Re: Med-Free Check-In 7/28