Why I Decided to go with a Doula

GUEST POST!

There are so many great reasons to hire a doula but when you actually get pregnant, you can’t stop thinking of reasons to have this angel with you along the way.

For my Husband

Yep, I was actually more concerned about my husband and what he would do during labor and delivery than I was with having the baby. He had never seen me in pain like this before and I knew that he would feel totally helpless. Not to mention, that he had no clue as to what his role would entail. Sure, we took the classes, but most men go into shock within the first twenty minutes after seeing a live birth! Our doula was able to put his mind at ease just knowing she was there to fall back on in case he forgot what to do.

For my Sanity

I too, was clueless about pregnancy, labor, delivery, the whole nine yards! My mother had passed away the week we found out we were pregnant and I was lost. I knew our doula and trusted her, so this gave me someone with experience to count on and I had complete comfort knowing that someone was looking out for me and only me while I was trying to remember how to breathe during contractions.

As Guidance

No matter how many classes you take or how prepared you feel, if you’ve never given birth, you have no idea what to expect. I knew that I would need a level head during labor and also knew that my husband was not it. So, my doula was the perfect fit for me and as predicted, she guided me through the different stages of labor which helped trigger what I had learned. If I forgot, she reminded me. When my husband needed a break, he felt comfortable leaving me. Her guidance got us through the most difficult day of our lives.

As a Go Between

Just having someone that could translate what the doctors and nurses were saying into layman’s terms was a huge help! As soon as the hospital staff walked out of the room, she would explain what was happening, what would happen next and what we needed to do. Looking back, I am so thankful that we decided to go with a doula, or as I renamed her, our baby bodyguard.

Heather Green is a Christian mom, freelance writer and the resident blogger for
OnlineNursingDegrees.org, a free informational website offering tips
and advice on online nursing schools.