Doula with Louise?

[Red Raspberry]

Hi,

My midwife is Louise from Wareham Nurse Midwives. She has been amazing so far! I was just wondering if anyone who had Louise as their midwife also had a Doula?

I'm considering a Doula, but not sure if I will need one. And not sure if I can afford one.

Thanks!

[jessjgh1]

Hi, I had a doula with Louise because my first birth was at SSH and I was apprehensive because my midwife there had really not helped me much.  I had decided on having a doula before I had even finalized my birth place.   I loved having a doula and after first being skeptical, my husband loved having a doula and we both recommend doula's wholeheartedly.  That said, I do feel like  we were also in very good hands with Louise and the nurses at Tobey.  I really think doula's are a wonderful birth resource no matter where you are and they are also a little bit of insurance.  Maybe in the end you will feel having a doula wasn't necessary because your birth was so easy- but I think a doula can take some credit for setting you up to have that great birth with the resources they provide and time spent before you head to the hospital.    

I was so glad to have my doula's help before I even went into labor- it was nice to have another person to facilitate the process and help me decide what I wanted.   And then when I was in labor it was nice to have someone that I knew (by then) and could rely on. I was very happy to have my doula help with massage, our nurse may have done that, but I'm not sure I would have though to ask her or been comfortable directing her in what I needed- where with my doula that was something I knew she was expecting to do.   So, in a way I trusted our relationship enough that I felt like I could be 'bossy' to her which was something I would have had trouble with with my husband and with Louise.

There are many small requests that my doula helped with , but I would have felt silly asking Louise and I might not have wanted to bother my husband.  Plus, she had my list of 'wants' etc, and could check in.

Louise would work really well with my  doula- in fact the nurses there are likely to work in a similar capacity with Louise since she is well established at Tobey (it really is a welcoming environment) so I think it worked well for her and really was not different than what she is used to.  I'm not sure about my nurse, how she felt about being 'replaced' lol.  At times I felt like she must not have had much to do at all- but she was a quiet calm presence the whole time- and to her credit, she stayed in the back and never intruded.  I should ask my husband if he remembers more about her, I was so focused on myself, and Louise and my doula, and at times my husband.  I just remember she was great at first (really reassured me b4 Louise got there and my doula got back and she was great after (she way our nurse after the delivery, too). I'm quite sure she would have stepped in if I had needed more hands (massage, etc.).

For us, it was worth it to have  a person that was there for me, that I could get to know while I was pregnant and a doula has a different role and responsibility that is unique as your advocate.  Having her there allowed me to set up some checks before hand and she 'checked' in with me during my birth to see how I was doing- something I didn't have the presence of mind to facilitate while laboring.  

 

Even though it may not be necessary with Louise to have a doula,  I still think having a doula is a wonderful idea- if money is difficult you could consider trying to find a doula-in-training who is fulfilling the requirements, ask about payment plans, bartering, etc. etc.  It will likely just give you more peace of mind about your birth and a doula can help you decide what elements you want to include in your birth, if you end up having a long labor, you have more hands/more help, etc., too.

You can always call and meet with a few doulas and see what questions and issues come up--  it is important for you to learn what support a doula would provide and what you want and you might know more after you talk to a few.  Usually consultations are complimentary

I hope that made some sense, I wanted to try to post something, but it's also late and I'm not thinking straight at the moment.  Good luck!

Jessica

[Paige, CPM]

I think a doula is a great idea.  Louise is wonderful, but there may be a chance that she is with more then one person at a time and then it would be essential.  Plus, post partum, having someone to consult with is important as Louise is very busy and sometimes doesn't call back right away post-partum.  

You can always use a doula-in-training for free or reduced fee.  Before I was a midwife, I was a doula and my first couple of births I did for free, then charged 100 for next couple and uped it slowly...so that is an option.  Another option is to have a doula paid for as a baby shower gift.  A group of people could chip in for it if one person can't pay for it.   Worth the money!

Good luck!!