Hiring a Doula

Thinking about hiring a Doula?  We did. At 30 weeks it dawned on us during our Amma birth class, if Ryan were to be at work for 9 hours after already getting up and going to the gym at 4:30 am, he may not be the best support person for me that evening, or night. And certainly not the next day when the pushing begins.  With that in mind, I went home and feverishly began emailing Doulas around the Twin Cities. At 30 weeks pregnant I was seriously concerned we wouldn't find anyone. While several women did tell me they were already booked for our guess date, one sent me the most helpful website, doulamatch.net. It's practically a dating site for pregnant women and doulas! By searching for someone with a known opening around your guess date, you skip the hassle of getting rejected over and over. Plus you can read brief bios and compare credentials easily before contacting anyone. 

Our doula Rachel, works for Karma Doula which is a small collaborative of 5 doulas who are also part of Everyday Miracles. Everyday Miracles offers doula support, prenatal yoga, childbirth and breastfeeding education, and a welcoming community for families from underserved communities. Because all women should have access to prenatal and labor support such as yoga and doula care, not just the wealthy.  Are you thinking, "I don't need a doula, the nurses and doctor will take care of me."  Yes they will, but they probably won't stay with you 100% of the time while your partner takes a nap or gets something to eat. They have other patients to take care of. Your doula is yours, and will give your partner or support person time to take a break, especially if you end up having a marathon labor. Even if you are planning to be induced and have an epidural; or have a scheduled C-section, doula's can support you through those labors as well.

After just 1 meeting with Rachel I knew we made the right choice. She gave us handouts on creating a birth plan (which I'm calling our Birth Intention), as well as a postpartum plan worksheet.  Both are super helpful, and along with our Amma class have prompted Ryan and I to contemplate several things we hadn't initially thought of.  Even if you aren't 100% sold on the idea of hiring a doula, I challenge you to at least contact one and see if their services are right for you.