Did you have a doula coaching you during labor? If so, was it a good experience for you or a bad one?

Question

Did you have a doula coaching you during labor? If so, was it a good experience for you or a bad one?

Answer 1

I have hired a doula and am due in early November.  So far, she has been wonderful.  They aren't only for birth - they are a great resource both before and after labor to help you with your birthplan, childbirth education, answering questions, bringing up things you haven't thought of, etc.  It's a really wonderful experience to have an ally leading up to labor.  And knowing that she is going to be there the entire time makes me actually look forward to my birth experience!  Doulas can really help take the fear out of the weeks leading up to labor...  I think it's a great idea.

Answer 2

I have interviewed many women about their birth experiences and have not yet heard one bad story from anyone who a hired birth doula. I know many doulas personally and I call them birth angels. A doula is a fabulous resource for before the birth, when you begin labor at home, she will be constantly at your side during labor and birth, unlike the doctor and nurse, she will coach you and support you and your partner during the birth and will help you with breastfeeding and bonding with the baby later. I would highly recommend hiring a birth doula. It is one of my three top secrets to having a positive birth experience. More birth secrets on the link below. You can also hire a post-partum doula to come and assist with the baby after childbirth.

The most important part is to match up personalities with you, your partner and your doula. You can interview a few doulas, before you hire one,  to make sure you have the right match. Many doulas have their own websites, just type in doula and your city. This is a small investment with a great return in good health for baby and mom.

Congrats and best wishes, G

Answer 3

for my first two yes and it was alright but they were assigned to me so I had never met them before but they know some good old home tricks to keep you calm if you let them, it helps because it is not a close family member saying things to you that yes you know but a stranger / educated person who cares about the birthing experience and they have or usually do this several times a month and see lots of things so they have tricks up their sleeve to help

Answer 4

No, but for my second baby I wish I had.  With my first, my midwife also acted as a doula, I just didn't realize it at the time.  She was very emotionally supportive and understanding, and made suggestions for position changes that really helped me feel more comfortable during different stages of labor.

I had assumed that all midwives practiced that way, but with my second baby I labored alone most of the time.  The midwife only came in periodically to check on me and gave off "vibes" that made me uncomfortable asking her to stay with me continually.  Labor was very fast, and people tend to assume that means "easy", but I felt overwhelmed and wasn't prepared for him to come so soon. I would have liked to have had another woman there to provide some continuity of care and reassure me that how I felt about his birth was okay.  This is where a doula would have been very helpful.