On Hiring a Doula
So after I posted Adele's birth story, and throughout my pregnancy, I got a lot of questions about hiring a doula. Most of my family and friends didn't really know what doulas are or what they do, so I thought I would share a little bit about my experience here.
What Doulas Do:
Doulas aren't medically trained, but they are very knowledgeable about pregnancy and childbirth. Their role (as I understand it) is to help you and coach you throughout your labor. not to give you medical advice. They also have a lot of techniques to help you manage the pain, and are there to give moral support during labor.
In one study done it was found that mothers who used a doula had far better outcomes than those who didn't, here are the statistics:
31% decrease in the use of Pitocin*
28% decrease in the risk of C-section*
12% increase in the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth*
9% decrease in the use of any medications for pain relief
14% decrease in the risk of newborns being admitted to a special care nursery
34% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience*
source
My Experience:
At the beginning of this pregnancy I knew I either wanted to hire a doula or take a childbirth class, but we didn't have enough money for both (plus the hassel of finding a babysitter for all of the classes). So I decided to hire a doula. After reading the above statistics I really wanted a doula because I really didn't want another c section.
I always tease Leland about the fact that when I was in labor with Esther he was playing flappy bird on his phone lol. This time he was much more involved and was a great support during labor. But I think it is a lot to put on your husband if you expect them to be your labor coach, especially during an unmedicated labor, when they have hardly any knowledge of birth and have never done it before. So I really wanted a doula so I could have someone knowledgeable and someone who is paid to support women during labor for a living, She also helped Leland know what to do to help me during labor. I liked that Leland could take a little break to use the bathroom or text updates to our family, since I definitely needed someone there helping me with every contraction.
Leland was a little unsure of hiring a doula at first, but I was easily able to convince him :). Doulas can be expensive but I definitely feel that the price was worth it. If you think about it they have to be on call ready to go to your birth for almost a month, and then they stay with you your entire labor, so it really isn't as much as it seems. The way I convinced Leland that it is worth the money was comparing the price of a natural birth to a c section, and even with the cost of a doula, a natural birth would be so much cheaper than another c section. Not to say that if you hire a doula you for sure won't have a c section, but it is a lot less likely.
Our doula Julie (here is her website --> www.doulajulie.com) was so great during my pregnancy and labor. She was super supportive but not overly outspoken, and just what I was looking for in a doula. I'm definitely glad we hired her and I basically feel like she is my BFF now that she has seen me give birth haha.
What Doulas Do:
Doulas aren't medically trained, but they are very knowledgeable about pregnancy and childbirth. Their role (as I understand it) is to help you and coach you throughout your labor. not to give you medical advice. They also have a lot of techniques to help you manage the pain, and are there to give moral support during labor.
In one study done it was found that mothers who used a doula had far better outcomes than those who didn't, here are the statistics:
31% decrease in the use of Pitocin*
28% decrease in the risk of C-section*
12% increase in the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth*
9% decrease in the use of any medications for pain relief
14% decrease in the risk of newborns being admitted to a special care nursery
34% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience*
source
My Experience:
At the beginning of this pregnancy I knew I either wanted to hire a doula or take a childbirth class, but we didn't have enough money for both (plus the hassel of finding a babysitter for all of the classes). So I decided to hire a doula. After reading the above statistics I really wanted a doula because I really didn't want another c section.
I always tease Leland about the fact that when I was in labor with Esther he was playing flappy bird on his phone lol. This time he was much more involved and was a great support during labor. But I think it is a lot to put on your husband if you expect them to be your labor coach, especially during an unmedicated labor, when they have hardly any knowledge of birth and have never done it before. So I really wanted a doula so I could have someone knowledgeable and someone who is paid to support women during labor for a living, She also helped Leland know what to do to help me during labor. I liked that Leland could take a little break to use the bathroom or text updates to our family, since I definitely needed someone there helping me with every contraction.
Leland was a little unsure of hiring a doula at first, but I was easily able to convince him :). Doulas can be expensive but I definitely feel that the price was worth it. If you think about it they have to be on call ready to go to your birth for almost a month, and then they stay with you your entire labor, so it really isn't as much as it seems. The way I convinced Leland that it is worth the money was comparing the price of a natural birth to a c section, and even with the cost of a doula, a natural birth would be so much cheaper than another c section. Not to say that if you hire a doula you for sure won't have a c section, but it is a lot less likely.
Our doula Julie (here is her website --> www.doulajulie.com) was so great during my pregnancy and labor. She was super supportive but not overly outspoken, and just what I was looking for in a doula. I'm definitely glad we hired her and I basically feel like she is my BFF now that she has seen me give birth haha.
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