Well, after much discussion about the concept of a doula, Kelly and I have decided to embark on finding out more information. LOL. I know that sounds funny, but we honestly don't know much about what a doula does, or how practical it is for what we need.
Basically, our situation is that our families are far away. Our mothers will come running when we go into labor, but the closest is 4 hours away (Kelly's mom). My mom is 12 hours away. And, while it would be wonderful to think that they will take off at the first contraction, we all know that false labor is a very real possibility and we'll need to be sure that we are REALLY in labor before we have them jumping into vehicles to get here.
What all that means is that we stand the very real possibility of going through the labor and delivery process without any support other than each other, our doctor and the nursing staff. Which isn't a bad thing. BUT...I wonder if a doula would take some of the guess-work out of it. I would love to go through labor medication free. I no longer can say that will happen 100%. This pregnancy has been enough to prove to me that my tolerance levels and my control over the process are very different than what I expected. But, if there were a trained professional there to help us find more comfortable positions, to massage me, to be my support through that...and equally as important...to be Kelly's support, I think we might find some benefit.
So. We are going to embark on finding out more information. I'm going to set up some meetings. Do some more research. Figure out how it all works, what services they provide and if it's a practical applicaton for us.
Does anyone out there have experience with doula's? Know anything that might be helpful to us as we begin this part of the journey?
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2 comments:
hey kelly and mikki, i'm not a doula but will gladly do anything to help you through labor until your folks get here. i'm less than one minute away when home - and will take off from work should you need me when the time comes. just say the word. i'm already a taxi to a midget (um 14 yr old) -- so driving mr & mrs daisey ain't no thang. i have coached two friends through labor - and watched their babies come into this world. i would love to be a back-up person, driver, stalker, yeller, calmer, ganstah... whah-evah... u need...i'm there..love yall... bye..~k
Hi. I've lurked for a while - we're due around the same time. I didn't use a doula for my first child and everything worked out okay. I do plan to use one this time. A doula is simply someone who has lots of experience helping a woman through labor. If you want to increase your chances of a med-free and/or intervention-free delivery, by all means use the doula. It never hurts to have an extra person on your side! Insurance generally doesn't cover them but mine only charges $400 which includes prenatal visits to help you write a birthplan and discuss your preferences, labor support from beginning to end, and a post-delivery visit. Well worth the money in my opinion. Good luck on your decision!
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