Tell me about your Doula

[Helene_Rose]

Hello,

I am writing an article about the role of a doula and am looking for a few people who would be willing to share their experience of having a doula with me. I will contact you if before I quote you in my article.

What made you decide to hire a birth doula?
How did you locate her?
Describe the education that she provided to you.
What was your experience like with your birth doula at your baby’s birth?
Would you use a doula again?
Your name and website if you have one that you’d like to share.
Do you prefer your quotes to remain anonymous or use your name?
Do you have any other comments that you would like to share?
With approval of your birth doula, please share a photo of her assisting you!

Feel free to read my published articles here:
http://www.elephantjournal.com/author/helene-rose/


I appreciate your sincere words. Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to reply to me through email.

[livelovelaugh]

Happy to share my experience and info.

What made you decide to hire a birth doula?

I had an emergency c section with my first, a midwife attended VBAC with my second, and then VBACs were banned at my community hospital when I was pregnant with my thrid, so I could not deliver there and could therefore not use my midwife. Very, very sad! I had to switch to a midwifery practice an hour away, but knowing there was a very good chance that my labor would go quickly, I knew that I wanted the support, knowledge, and guidance of a doula. .

How did you locate her?

I was fortunate, in that my doula worked out of my midwife's office and I knew her.

Describe the education that she provided to you.

I did not labor with my son's emergency c-section (it was very emergent), and so my labor with my second birth was essentially my "first," and was only five hours from start to finish. Having my midwife there to guide me through the labor, to keep me focused on what I was doing, and to encourage me to move and get into helpful positions was very important to me, and I wanted the same support froma knolwedgable woman again for my third birth.

My doula also was a wonderful guide and teacher before the birth when we thought the baby might be breech, when I was a week overdue, and when my body was sore. My doula is a prenatal massage therapist, so that helped immensely as well! She was a wonderful teacher/guide during pregnancy and birth.

What was your experience like with your birth doula at your baby’s birth?

My labor moved quickly, as we had expected. Once I thought that it was the real thing I called her and she came to our home, where we realized that it definitely was the real thing - contractions were 3 minutes apart almost from the start - she applied counter pressure (I had intense back labor for the second time!), reminded me to relax, I leaned on her and we talked and danced our way through labor. It seemed like no time had passed and suddenly the contractions were less than 2 minutes apart, so we decided to head to our small community hospital - it was that or have the baby on the side of the road on the way to the other hospital, and as my husband said, that was "not going to happen!" So, off we went, and an hour after we checked in I was nursing my little girl. My doula's support to my throughout the labor was crucial to my success at my second VBAC! She was pivotal to me having the exact birth experience that I had hoped for.

Would you use a doula again?

Absolutely!

Your name and website if you have one that you’d like to share.

Happy to provide this information if you choose to use my information - you can pm me. My doula has a website and I can ask her if she wants to include it.

Do you prefer your quotes to remain anonymous or use your name?

I will have to think about that and discuss it with my doula.

Do you have any other comments that you would like to share?

With approval of your birth doula, please share a photo of her assisting you!

I do have one - let me know if you end up using our info.