A few shoutouts to my new favorite people, Annie Reeder (my doula) and Gaylea McDougal (who co-taught our awesome childbirthing class with Annie), both with informative websites on your many childbirthing options.
And my sister, Clarissa, an almost-doula, has started a blog where she recently posts about various baby-wearing options. You don’t really have to be all into attachment parenting (I’m not… yet. Likely to change…) to be into baby-wearing. You can just be like me – someone who likes to keep it simple, Stupid, and not haul around a lot of useless baby gear. In the next few days she’ll be highlighting her recommendations for good carriers.
Now a little bit about doulas. Caution: I’m gonna get spiritual on you. Just pretend you’re listening to Oprah, and you won’t feel as wonky.
Matt and I went back and forth on whether or not we needed to use a doula because of how in tune with our desires my midwives seemed to be. Last week everything seemed to really come together remarkably. We had a wonderful appointment with the midwife who assured us that yes, I could push in whatever position I wanted, and try many positions! And yes! Matt can catch Penelope! And no! I don’t need to have an IV at all if everything is going fine. And yes! It’s totally cool for me to stay at home and labor there until it’s time to start pushing. And no! They won’t give me an episiotomy! And I can eat and drink to my little hearts delight throughout the whole process. In fact she was totally on board with our birth plan.
Last week we also decided to hire Awesome Annie to really make it possible for me to labor at home until the very last minute – we’ll have an experienced and knowledgeable doula there to make sure all is going well. On top of that, she goes to our church and will be able to help us achieve the one thing I really care about, and the only thing that I can control – to make sure that Penny’s arrival into the world is a worshipful experience, one where I am leaning on God for my strength and glorifying Him.
Matt and I were talking last night about just how at peace we feel with all of these decisions. I can truly say that I am facing my medical phobias head on with an amazing team of people, Matt, the midwives, Annie, and my Heavenly Father, who are going to support me emotionally, physically, and spiritually, and keep Penny’s health first and foremost in their mind. I have completely come to grips with the understanding that this will be a roller-coaster ride with lots of changes in course, but I feel totally equipped to handle it because of this awesome support team.
Now when I can’t sleep at night, I envision that awesome day when my daughter makes her arrival. I see myself in the quiet of my house focusing through contractions with Annie pushing on my back and Matt holding my hands, all of us meditating on the words of our Savior. And I’m no longer afraid.
And that’s why you want a doula…
March 31st, 2010 at 8:19 am
…unless you have a doulos, of course.
March 31st, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Oh, Annie is awesome! I actually talked to her at length last year when I was thinking about training to become a doula