Our First Doctor Apt Today - Page 2

stellaandcorasmommy · 03-13-2008, 10:27 AM

a doula is a support person that is there to help you plan your birth and to help you during labor and delivery. Everyone is different...but, mine came to our house 2x prior to the birth to do something similar to a birth class, discuss different laboring positions, help write a birth plan. I had planned both times to do some laboring at home - first there was some bleeding so she met me right at the hospital (rare placenta condition...don't get worried!) and second there wasn't any time (1 1/2 hour labor) - so she would have come to the house. She was there throughout the whole labor and delivery - to support both jeremy and i, she took pictures, she answered questions, she helped inform people that i didn't want pain meds (we had a secret word that if i really did decide that i wanted them, i could use and she would wait 15 minutes or so before telling the midwife - give me a chance to decide if that was the right thing...), she would run and get food/drink for either of us, etc. it was really nice for me to know that if jeremy couldn't be there...someone that i was really comfortable with, was. also...it's nice to have another woman in there, i think. it was nice to see someone that has gone through this before to have for support. your husband, however amazing he is, will never experience childbirth. since the beginning of time, women have used other women to support them in childbirth. it feels very natural. jeremy also agrees that he would never have another baby without her. it really helped him too.
check out Childbirth Collective - it's a mn thing...but, they have a lot of info about doulas.
jen

Imachickadee75 · 03-14-2008, 08:26 PM

Jo
Sorry to chime in so late, I've had family visiting for the last two weeks! Anyway, I agree with everything stellaanndcorasmom has said. In my experience (which isn't vast) its usually the delivery nurse that all but delivers the baby anyway. They do all the work until about 8cm or more. The delivery I was present for, the doc got there just in time to literally catch the baby, nothing more. Now that's a nice normal birth of course but as was said before, if the CNMW gets in trouble she will have an OB back up always. However, just becuase she is a midwife does not necessarily mean that she will be non intervention oriented and/or handsoff. Some are very medicalized for various reasons -ie how they were trained, liablity reasons etc. What are your thoughts on delivery? Better yet, you should ask her about her philosophy. Can she go both ways? That's what I love about my Doc. He is very non interventive, but can be if necessary. That suited me perfectly.

In terms of a doula, I think its a great idea. DH was VERY supportive the first time but I scared him away the second time just when I really needed him. I think I would have better discussed things if a doula had been present and I think she would have been able to direct DH a little more to help me. And, as its been said, if for some reason DH didn't make it, you would have someone there to count on.

THinking of you
Jackie

Amanda · 03-15-2008, 08:12 AM

Congrats Jo- you are lucky!

03-13-2008, 10:27 AM	#11 (permalink)
stellaandcorasmommy Jetgirls Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 130 Recipes: Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Our First Doctor Apt Today a doula is a support person that is there to help you plan your birth and to help you during labor and delivery. Everyone is different...but, mine came to our house 2x prior to the birth to do something similar to a birth class, discuss different laboring positions, help write a birth plan. I had planned both times to do some laboring at home - first there was some bleeding so she met me right at the hospital (rare placenta condition...don't get worried!) and second there wasn't any time (1 1/2 hour labor) - so she would have come to the house. She was there throughout the whole labor and delivery - to support both jeremy and i, she took pictures, she answered questions, she helped inform people that i didn't want pain meds (we had a secret word that if i really did decide that i wanted them, i could use and she would wait 15 minutes or so before telling the midwife - give me a chance to decide if that was the right thing...), she would run and get food/drink for either of us, etc. it was really nice for me to know that if jeremy couldn't be there...someone that i was really comfortable with, was. also...it's nice to have another woman in there, i think. it was nice to see someone that has gone through this before to have for support. your husband, however amazing he is, will never experience childbirth. since the beginning of time, women have used other women to support them in childbirth. it feels very natural. jeremy also agrees that he would never have another baby without her. it really helped him too. check out Childbirth Collective - it's a mn thing...but, they have a lot of info about doulas. jen __________________ stellaandcorasmommy mommy (and general life) rants and raves... http://coconutbelly.blogspot.com

03-14-2008, 08:26 PM	#12 (permalink)
Imachickadee75 Jetgirls Ol' School Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: oklahoma Posts: 645 Recipes: Thanks: 1 Thanked 14 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Our First Doctor Apt Today Jo Sorry to chime in so late, I've had family visiting for the last two weeks! Anyway, I agree with everything stellaanndcorasmom has said. In my experience (which isn't vast) its usually the delivery nurse that all but delivers the baby anyway. They do all the work until about 8cm or more. The delivery I was present for, the doc got there just in time to literally catch the baby, nothing more. Now that's a nice normal birth of course but as was said before, if the CNMW gets in trouble she will have an OB back up always. However, just becuase she is a midwife does not necessarily mean that she will be non intervention oriented and/or handsoff. Some are very medicalized for various reasons -ie how they were trained, liablity reasons etc. What are your thoughts on delivery? Better yet, you should ask her about her philosophy. Can she go both ways? That's what I love about my Doc. He is very non interventive, but can be if necessary. That suited me perfectly. In terms of a doula, I think its a great idea. DH was VERY supportive the first time but I scared him away the second time just when I really needed him. I think I would have better discussed things if a doula had been present and I think she would have been able to direct DH a little more to help me. And, as its been said, if for some reason DH didn't make it, you would have someone there to count on. THinking of you Jackie __________________ Welcoming baby #3 this spring!

03-15-2008, 08:12 AM	#13 (permalink)
Amanda Jetgirls Plus Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PHL suburbs Posts: 2,136 Recipes: Thanks: 12 Thanked 11 Times in 11 Posts	Re: Our First Doctor Apt Today Congrats Jo- you are lucky! __________________ Amanda Loving wife of Nick, an Int'l FO for Continental flying the 757/767 based in EWR!

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)