Recently, the Austin Pregnancy & New Moms Group sent around an email from a woman that is interested in providing doula services FREE OF CHARGE in order to get training/credit hours in. Did I mention that her services are free?
For those of you who aren't well versed in labor speak, a doula is...um, well, I'm not sure on the specifics. I always have associated them with being in a type of supporting role in a natural birth, etc., but turns out that when I contacted her explaining that I would be induced most likely and hooked up to an epidural as soon as humanly possible, she was still interested in meeting with us. She can be there to support the mom AND help out dad, be another set of hands for massage, communicate with the doctors and nurses, etc. Hmm...I'm a bit interested, to be honest. The only thing about it is that I really want as few people there as possible, and for it to be a private, personal thing for me and D, so I'm wondering if she'll ruin that vibe for me, or if she might be a welcome female face in a sea full of men?
Anyone using a doula or have experience with doulas they'd like to share? I still need to broach the issue with D, but depending on his feedback, we'll likely meet with her early next week to see if it's a good match.
I actually spoke with a doula a couple of weeks ago who was also offering her services for free because she needed to attend 3 live births in order to receive her certification. Unfortunately, her family is going to be out of state right around the time I am due so that kind of fell through.
ReplyDeleteI was interested simply because it would've been a much needed extra set of hands as well as the emotional and physical support she would've helped to provide. Your best bet is to meet with her in person so you can see what kind of vibe you get and explain to her how you imagine things will be with your birth and see how she feels about the whole process. I've spoken to a few people who have had doulas attend them and they all gave very positive feedback. It's worth looking into, especially if it's free. Good luck!