We found our doula!In a previous post I described our desire to hire a doula and preliminary fact-finding mission to an ABC "Meet the Doulas" event. For those who didn't read the post, a doula is a hired birth coach that provides physical and emotional support to a couple during labor and delivery. (Check out Wikipedia's fairly accurate definition.) Our main reasons for wanting a doula?
- To allay our anxiety during labor and delivery
- To help Will help me during labor
- To reduce the need for medical intervention during delivery
- To provide postpartum support, from cloth diapering to breastfeeding
Now, before I go any further, I have to give kudos to Will. He's done 90% of the legwork in our doula search - reviewing doula websites, preparing questions and setting up the interviews. All I had to do was show up with my belly.
Alrighty - interview one took place after work at a Novi Beaners. After some awkward small talk (did you find the place okay? how far along are you? what are you drinking?), we settled in for our not-awkward push the baby out chat. Through two hours of chatting, we learned all about Erin, who was our age and a mother of two. She was sweet, knowledgeable and confident. We told her about interview number two and said we'd be in touch the following week. At dinner following the meeting, Will and I agreed that we liked her. On top of that, her fees were very reasonable because she is still undergoing her DONA doula certification, a rigorous process that involves attending a certain number and type of births.
Interview number two was five days later at Cafe Felix in Ann Arbor. Deb flew in, ordered a cafe au lait and got down to business. She was open but direct and during her explanation of services, answered almost all of our questions without us having to ask. The rest of our time together was spent talking about her different birth experiences, postpartum care and child birth classes. After she left the cafe, Will and I quickly agreed that although we liked Erin, we really liked Deb.
So we hired her.
We've yet to set up our first official appointment, but I am wholly confident in our decision. She runs a successful business, Pregnancy Arts. She has attended more than 160 births, both at homes and in eleven different hospitals in Indiana, Ohio, Virginia and Michigan. She has experience with induction and c-sections. For an extra fee, she can serve as our child-birth educator, customizing lessons to fit our needs and birth plan. On top of that, I like her. She's confident without being pushy and laughs easily. When I picture her as part of our birth experience, I smile. Will feels the same. Stay tuned for more about Deb and our sessions with her. I'm sure the peanut gallery will find them very entertaining.
