Doula?!? What is a Doula? They are trained and experienced professionals who provide physical, emotional support to a mother before, during and after birth. The is the dictionary definition of a Doula.
When I decided that I was really going to have my 3rd baby natural- drug free and I really began to think and plan it out. I am a big planner and I like to have everything all worked out. I realized that I wanted a Doula to be there to help me. Yes, I have my husband to help me but sometimes he can be a tease ok, a lot of the times he is a tease and loves to be funny. He had been great for the previous two births but this one was going to be different. I just felt like I needed that Doula there to help as well. I felt like having another women there that had done this before would really help me and encourage me to be able to believe in myself and make it a better experience all around.
This is a picture of my awesome doulas, not the best picture of me but I couldn't have done it without these amazing ladies.
A Doula doesn't take the spot of the husband they are there to help him as well. That is a big part of what my husband was worried about is that they would take his "spot" My doula was very good to explain to him that that was not what she wanted to do. A birth of a child is a sacred experience and it is special for a husband and a wife to experience that together. She was just there to help with that. I was lucky to be able to have two doulas help and attend this birth. My husbands cousin was doing an intership kind of thing and so I paid for my doula and then his cousin who was pretty much a doula as well came along and helped out. It was awesome.
Here is the whole birth story if you want to read it more in detail. It was hard, and beautiful at the same time, and I still cry every time I read it.
Things that my doula(s) helped me with
- She helped me with my hypnobabies course. I was too far along and wasn't able to take a class for the hypbobabies but I ordered the online do it at home kit. My doula was an instructor so she helped me out understanding or trying some of the methods. It really helped me. She and Shannon my husbands cousin had both birthed their babies using the hypnobabies method so that helped a ton to hear their experiences.
- They were there when I was worried about what my midwife was telling me about big babies. She kept my head calm and reminded me of what I wanted. I had written up my birth plan and given it to both of the doulas
- They were there to encourage me when I was going past my "due date" They said take a day off and go do something for yourself. Relax, it will be ok...They were women they totally understood all of the emotions I was having being this close to having a baby.
- She had so much experience and different things to try. Like the lift and tuck where they hold your belly up and it releases the pressure during a pressure wave. Different ways to labor, in the heat of the moment they remind you of what you wanted before hand.
- Shannon had known me for 7 years and so she knew a little bit more about me than the actual doula and she would remind me that I had ran a half marathon.... I could birth a baby as well. It made me chuckle but she was right..... She reminded me that I was strong and my body was made for this. If I wanted it I could do it.
- One of the biggest reasons I was grateful I had a doula was when I was in that moment of delivery that I was losing it. She calmly called me back to reality and calmed me down and encouraged me. She simply said "YOU CAN DO IT!" Sometimes that is all you need is someone to tell you that, and believe in you and you are given so much strength from that.
I loved my experience with my doulas and I will have a doula with the birth of all my future children as well. I think they are well worth the money. It made me feel so much more confident in myself having them there to remind me of that.
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