Don’t be afraid to hire a new doula. They are REALLY awesome! Just imagine:
It’s 2am and the phone rings. The doula who has recently taken her training, hears it. She rolls over, sees it is you, clears her throat and cheerfully answers. She’s been anticipating your call for the last week and is so excited to see it is you. She asks you how you are doing, listens to your contraction, tells you that you are doing a fantastic job. She asks how long it has been like this, if your water has broken and other pertinent details about your labor.
You tell her you are ready to head to the hospital and you would like for her to come meet you there. She has her clothes laid out, ready for your call, and is already getting dressed as you speak. She hurriedly finishes, brushes her hair and teeth and is in the car on the way to you within 15 minutes. She drives a little faster than normal, because she is so excited and full of anticipation.
Being one of the first few labors she has attended, she spent the last few weeks reviewing her class notes and talking to her mentor doulas in preparation. She’s fully equipped and ready to support you through this experience.
She arrives to the hospital, takes a deep breath, clears her own excitement and anticipation, and walks in to be with you.
When she arrives, she brings a breath of fresh air and a positive energy that fills the room. You instantly feel comfortable now that she is with you. She greets you and your partner with a warm hug. She observes your labor pattern and the technique you and your partner have fallen into. She holds your drink and straw ready for after the contraction is complete.
Within a few minutes, she has acclimated to the environment and seamlessly supports you and your partner through your labor routine.
She makes suggestions for position changes and helps your partner find a nice cool cloth to wipe your sweat.
When you say you can’t do this anymore, she hugs you deeply and warmly. She looks you straight in the eyes and tells you, with all the confidence in the world, “You can do this! You ARE doing this!” Her faith in you helps you keep going.
She became a doula because everyone always told her she had a knack for making people feel better in tough situations and her loving and nurturing personality was perfect for this role. Now you are one of those people who will say the same thing.
After a lot of hard work and many supportive words, you beautifully birth your baby and your doula turns her attention to capturing pictures of your new family.
Her undivided attention, support and reassurance was a lifesaver during your labor. You can’t imagine having done it without her.
New doulas bring a level of excitement, anticipation and boundless energy that many seasoned doulas lose over time. She is more willing to sacrifice her time and attention for you. She is far more likely to give of herself more freely and more generously than a seasoned doula.
We love our newer doulas and we are sure you will too.
You see, a doula’s worth is not in the number of births she has attended. It is in her ability to make you feel calm in a stressful time, her ability to hold you when you have given up and encourage you to keep going. Labor positions can be found in a book, they can be learned. What matters is how that doula sitting across the coffee table from you in that consult makes you feel. Drop the intense line of questions some website told you to ask and JUST CONNECT.
Want to learn more? Reach out.
