Do you doula?

Posted by Aaron at 7/17/2007 11:47:00 AM

"Aaron, what are you looking for in a doula?"
"Someone who doesn't annoy me."
"I think anyone who becomes a doula will probably annoy you."

We are in the market for a doula. Shanna was worried that we were late to the doula party so I volunteered to ask around for referrals at work. A number of my coworkers have had babies recently, and most of them live in the hoity toity beach south bay. I figured it wasn't a bad market for doulas. Among the men I asked, not a single one had even heard of the phrase "doula". This led me to one conclusion: Shanna doesn't realize how good she has it.

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4 Comments:

  1. Sara said...
    July 18, 2007 at 3:12 PM  
    Probably true, but aren't you also the reason she wants to get a doula in the first place?
    Aaron said...
    July 18, 2007 at 6:05 PM  
    Yes, I am the cause of and solution to all of Shanna's problems.
    Anonymous said...
    July 21, 2007 at 1:53 PM  
    A comment from someone who's been at the receiving end of multiple doulas "advocating" for their women in labor: Beware the doula/ couple who have a clear and firm idea of what a birth will look like....folks (docs, RNs, clerks, etc) often joke about the fact that the births with the most intense doulas/couples are most likely to turn into chaos. [Of course could be a territorial comment, but in my (somewhat limited) experience, any time doulas or couples have fixed ideas about what birth should be, they are less able to just go with the flow when things happen that are out of your control (and birth is full of unexpected complications/ changes of plan/ etc) Families with birth plans (that they are not expecting to throw out the window if need be) are invaribly disappointed....
    Quite a rant. On the other hand, flexible doulas can be a great support for couples who help couples go with the flow of the inherently chaotic process of childbirth...
    Have fun!
    I hope this doesn't fall into the category of uninvited/unwanted advice!
    A part-time stork,
    Anna

    PS I love the random cat comments every Friday...
    Shanna said...
    July 21, 2007 at 11:29 PM  
    Thanks Anna! Great advice! We have no expectations for birth and our doula is very flexible - as are we. I wanted to get a doula to help Aaron as much as me...plus we found one who is a licensed massage therapist - bonus! And there is no such thing as unwanted advice from friends. Keep it coming.

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