Doula at homebirth question

[babylover]

We are struggling with whether or not to have doula at our homebirth. Our midwife has been luke warm about a doula and just told us to do whatever we think we want. I've phone interviewed three doulas and they seem even to be luke warm about attending a home birth. Most women in this area don't deliver at home, so most of the doulaing they do is in the hospital. They just seem to be saying--you've got the midwife at home, what else do you think you need.
I'm just wondering how many of you had a doula at your home birth and what your thoughts are about that.

[Serenity]

I'm struggling with this same issue myself and am curious to hear what responses you get. I plan on a home birth and have interviewed two doulas. Both had only attended home births of relatives but thought it would be an interesting experience to doula professionally at a home birth. It did seem like a lot of their tools would be overlapping with the midwife or not needed because of the relaxed nature of the home environment. I plan on asking my midwife for her thoughts on this at my appointment tomorrow. I told the doula I'd let her know within the week.

The other thing that gives me pause is that I am absolutely terrified of hospitals. In the event of a transfer or if some complication came up with the pregnancy that required me to be in the hospital (i'm only 25 weeks at this point), I'd really need one. I won't know until the last minute but I have to book a doula now before they are all booked up. Aaah!!!

[organicmama]

Hi all! I'm planning a homebirth with a midwife & a doula. I had a hospital birth with no doula the first time, a birthing center birth with a doula last time. I highly recommend using a good doula. She came right over early in my labor & it was a great comfort to just have her there. It comforted my dh, too, just knowing there was someone else there. It took some of the pressure off of him so that he could just be there for me.

Sure the roles of the doula & midwife somewhat overlap, I suppose, but then 2 heads are better than one. I'm hoping my doula will concentrate on things like reminding me to empty my bladder & sip fluids. (You tend to loose track of time.) Also, I love to have chapstick on my dry lips & some fresh fruits to nibble on during labor, basic things like that. I know just her quiet presence will be a comfort to me. She will be there just for ME. The midwife will have to be a little more clinically oriented at times. She is responsible for me & the baby & the outcome of the labor.

IF anything should go wrong, the doula is free to stay with me & comfort me while the midwife would have to be making calls to arrange a transfer to the hospital. Plus, if I did have to go to the hospital, I definitely would want a doula! Have you read the statistics!?! They can really advocate for you & make your wishes known, if you discuss them ahead of time.

The doula I had last time missed my birth because I went almost 2 weeks overdue & she left of a trip. Her partner attended in her place. I met her briefly once at a LLL conference & then when she arrived while I was in labor. I still felt totally comfortable with her. I've gotten to know the sweet mama that is going to be my doula & she's an awesome person. I think that will make it even more special.

Just a few thoughts off the top of my head....

[Milo]

For me personally, the minimum support is DH, midwife and doula...but other's have done without and been fine. I know, for me (us) just another supportive person to love me anyway, and help out is so worth it...Also, DH does need to use the bathroom or eat something eventually, so it takes some of the pressure of him. We've had the same doula both times, and she made it easier for Jadon, too, because we had stayed in touch and he was comfortable with her and trusted her while his Mama was behaving in such an unusual fashion

[babylover]

Thanks for the responses. The hospital transfer thing isn't so much of an issue because our midwife has hospital priviledges at a nearby hospital. If we transfer, she goes with us and delivers us there or with the support of her OB back-up if c-section or anything like that came up. It does have an impact though that Dh would probably be doing some things to get ready for the transfer and I would be left alone if the midwife is also arranging the transfer. Good thought. My dh has indicated he would like the extra support. We are planning a water birth and he doesn't want to mess with keeping the water hot, etc. or if he does, he wants to know that someone is there to stay with me. There is also the issue of clean up--it would be nice to have help with this. I have to admit that part of our hesitation is the money issue. Both of the doulas we are looking at charge $350. The home birth is already way more the $200 we paid for our previous hospital birth. The one doula made it a point to tell us that if money was the deciding factor on whether or not we had a doula, then she would work with us. I guess I'm just nervous that if the midwife is luke warm about the doula, then she will be weird at the birth.

[madison]

I find it somewhat disappointing that your midwife would be disapproving of WHOEVER you had at your birth! It's YOUR birth, you should get to have with you whomever you darn well please - isn't that one of the benefits of having a homebirth, lol?

ANYWAY... I am a doula hoping to attend my first birth later this month (at a birth center) but I would absolutely support mothers who choose a homebirth. Why wouldn't they? Doulas have no legal liabilities at births (though some post partum doulas do get liability insurance), so why would they be worried? Seems silly to me! I personally think it'd be nice to assist someone at home.

Too bad you're not in LA, I'd love to do it!

Oh, a suggestion, try contacting a doula trainer in your area from DONA or ALACE. They will know of all the new doulas in your area, and you may find one of them to be more open-minded or at least eager for their first jobs (like me!). A doula in training should also be MUCH less expensive (or free) than a fully certified doula. I, for instance, have decided to offer my services for free until I'm certified, in exchange for the honor of attending births AND the family must be willing to fill out the little bits of paperwork DONA requires, and to ask their nurses/doctors/midwives to fill out the info, too.

I really think you should be able to find a doula at a lower cost, especially since you are in a larger town, as long as you don't mind a newbie. The doulas in my training group with me (15) came from a variety of backgrounds - nurses, mothers who had miserable births, mothers who used doulas for their births and were delighted, child caregivers & preschool teachers who wanted to branch out, nannies who wanted to specialize in post partum care (there is no certification exclusively for post partum doulas, they all have to be birth doulas and then just DO pp care), maternal health care majors at college etc. We all loved the processes of pregnancy and birth and new families/babies.

I would say no one goes through doula training (at around $600) just to fool around. Plus, it really doesn't pay very well - you can't load up on clients, you'd hate to have two in labor at the same time; so most take clients 3 weeks apart at the MOST. That means $350 for 3 weeks of work. Not much, eh, when it's broken out like that.

Also, make sure you get a doula who has attended at least the training classes OR has previous experience. My training was great in that it gave me techniques and a "cheat sheet" card of suggestions for various types of labor.

Good luck!

[smarmie]

When I was getting ready for a homebirth, I also asked the midwifes about getting a Doula. They have been practicing for over 20 years and I have known them through 2 pg. They explained that whatever I wanted was fine, but they did not think that it would be necessary. They also said that in the past several years they have learned that the more they leave the laboring mother and father alone to do their thing, the faster and easier the labor seems to go.

Do you think that your birthing partner will provide the support that you need? And your midwifes? How many people will be there and do you feel comfortable adding another?

DH added: For a homebirth, if you are confidant in your midwifes abilities, why would you need a doula? I can also understand why a doula would be lukewarm about attending a homebirth attended by a midwife, when a midwife has more experience coaching and additional technical knowledge.

[Birth Junkie]

As a doula who has attended meny homebirths and had a doula at my own homebirth (also with the one coming up), I think doula's at homebirths are great. The doula and midwife tend to play off each other and fill in gaps, just like at the hospital. It makes everyone's job easier. Additionally, Dad's occasionally need doula's too - home or hosptial. You need to consider who is going to be there just for you when your pushing. Dad usually and should be experiencing the birth too, whether that be watching his child enter the world, catching the babe etc and the midwife will be doing the clinical stuff, so who will be there for you? I had one mom have a suprise breech and boy did hse ever need a doula. Both mom and ddad got too scared to be in reality, midwife was doing what she needed to do, doula was talking mom through it. If you click with the doula, she can only help.
Amy

[babylover]

Birth Junkie--first of all great name. I really appreciate your input. The doula that we are meeting in person on Thursday said very similar things about playing off of the midwife and just picking up wherever the needs were. My husband is very in favor of having a doula present. He really thinks we need it. I think it will be a great support as well. It's been really nice to have the feedback as we try to make this decision. Jennifer

[StarrMomma]

Another vote for the doula...

Our first was a hospital birth/C-section. With the second, we planned a home VBAC. Having a doula just made sense. I didn't realize how much, though, till the midst of my fairly long labor. She was there to do things I wasn't entirely comfortable having a close friend or relative, even dh, do. Like accompany my to the toilet, help me wash up, ideas of how to pee after delivery (was harder than I thought to let go!), be there to get me water and ice and cold washcloths when dh and I were in the tub together. All in all well worth the money. I'd like to be a doula someday when my babies are a little less needy of me. I really believe that birthing is women's work and we need eachother. I needed dh too, but in a different way. My perfect birth would be me, dh, trusted midwife and doula, and perhaps a close girlfriend or two. And other children as comfortable for all involved.

Dawn

[AngelBee]

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[Peppamint]

There's another HB doula thread right below this one... read it too!

[UmmBnB]

I think it depends on the mw and what you all percieve her total role to be. My mw's role at both my births (same mw) was primarily support, along with my husband and mother. I didn't want to be checked and examined so those things were very much kept to a minimum - a couple of heart tone checks and one exam, by my request, each time. Being technical is secondary to support, if that makes sense. She even commented once, after attending a birth with a doula, that it was very ackward as they were both doing the same thing most of the time.

I would have found a doulas presence totally unnecessary. This stems greatly from my wanting to have a hands off labor and birth and having family support around me who were well educated and prepared.

If a transport were neccessary, the mw would assume a doula-like role at the hospital.

Now, if I had been one to choose a mw who was highly technical focused and didn't have good family labor support I may have considered a doula perhaps.