(I'm not sure that this arrow is pointing at anything, but I am definitely glad I hired a doula!)
I found out yesterday that this week is World Doula Week which made for a very appropriate time to rave about doulas! A doula "is a non medical person who assists a woman before, during, or after childbirth, as well as her partner and/or family by providing information, physical assistance, and emotional support" (Wikipedia). I cannot say enough about how much hiring a doula made the entire process of pregnancy through the first few weeks of Kennedy's life immensely less stressful. Before I go into too much detail, I would like to start at the beginning of my journey.
If you know me, you know that I am a very detailed over-planner by nature. My life consists of checklists and I become giddy with the idea of crossing every to-do item off of my never ending list. As a side note, I actually planned my wedding so meticulously that I was somewhat bored the week before because everything had been done (if this was Twitter I would hashtag, #typeAproblems). Baby planning obviously followed suit with the rest of my life; I joined thebump.com before I even broke the news to my husband (just kidding, but it was close). After logging in, a baby planning checklist arose on the top right hand corner! I was thrilled that I could neatly organize the tasks that needed to be accomplished over the next 35 weeks. Every week, new tasks popped up on my screen and I checked them off one by one. Around week sixteen, it was suggested that I interview and hire a Doula. Unfamiliar with the term, I decided to do some Google research (another one of my specialties). While learning more about Doulas, I simultaneously became intrigued with the idea of natural birth (birth without pain medicine, Pitocin, or other labor augmenting procedures). I watched "The Business of Being Born" produced by Ricky Lake (a must see!), spoke with an old friend about the subject, and really felt that this was the right course for myself and Kennedy. Doulas are not limited to helping women choosing natural birth, but they are widely regarded as essential for those who are planning to take this path (in my opinion, they are essential for all women in labor). I decided to complete the task at hand via my handy Bump Checklist, and began to interview Doulas.
I met with several different women and chose Nina Bassett of Bassett Baby Planning. I hired Nina because she has a passion for her work that truly resonates. Nicknamed "The Baby Chick," Nina is a Baby Planner, Massage Therapist, and of course a birth/postpartum Doula. She helped me during pregnancy by finding childbirth education classes (A Bradley Class that I will rave about in another post!), maternity photographers, and offered product recommendations.
On June 4 (Nine days past my due date...a slight eternity at this stage of pregnancy), I decided to exhaust all of my natural resources to evict Kennedy ASAP. Nina gave me a labor inducing massage, I took primrose oil, walked miles around the mall, drank raspberry tea, ate jalapeños, and ultimately drank castor oil (I do not recommend this! So gross!). One of these methods worked because I started having contractions around 12am on June 5. By Five a.m. the contractions were not overly painful, but were very close together (2 minutes apart). I decided to call Nina and our families to let them know that today would be the day...or so I thought! We arrived at the hospital around 7am and were admitted, although I was not as close to meeting Kennedy as I had hoped. By noon, much to my dismay, my Midwife suggested that we begin an IV of Pitocin due to the slow progression of my labor. Research suggests that one labor intervention typically begets another, which I fell statistic to and had an epidural around 6pm. I could go into all of the details, however, I was in labor for 26.5 hours, making it a very long story, and one that I could not imagine without the help of my doula! Nina helped me through the intense contractions by her wonderful massage techniques and reminded me of all the things I learned in my Bradley Classes. She helped me greatly but I believe her biggest proponent would be my husband, whom she coached through providing support on this very long and grueling day(s). She was incredibly knowledgeable, took photos of the birth, and recorded all details as a keepsake.
Three weeks after birth, Nina came to my house for a postpartum visit. During her stay, she helped me with breastfeeding, infant massage, answered questions about newborn care, and helped with chores around the house. It couldn't have been more appreciated at a time when I was intensely sleep deprived and often felt clueless!
Everyone I know who hired a doula felt that it was absolutely money well spent. Although I fell short of my birth goals and veered from my plan, I felt informed in my decisions (thanks to Nina), and at the end of the day I am simply very happy that my beautiful healthy daughter is here. Bottom line is hire a doula, you won't regret it!
Service Rating: ♛♛♛♛♛
Price: Varies greatly depending on provider and level of service; Doula Service may also be partially or fully reimbursable from your insurance company with documentation
Where to Find: To find a doula near you, please visit www.dona.org
If you live in the Houston area, please check out:
bassettbabyplanning.com
Photo of the Flowers in my room courtesy of Nina Bassett!
Another recommendation if you live in the Houston area: John Freedman has the BEST flowers!
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