Doula

This weekend I started my Doula training. It has been a long weekend and I mean LONG weekend, but so worth it. I have learned so much and I am so excited!!! I had training on Friday from 6 pm to 9 pm, Saturday 9 am until 6 pm, and today from 1 pm until 7 pm. Lots of time learning and soaking up great information. And so much more to learn like any other thing in the world.

So what is a Doula you might ask and why in the world am I taking this on?
A Doula helps give support (emotionally and physically) to a laboring mother and her spouse and other members of the support team. When you need back labor support, I can give that and show your spouse how to offer that same support to you. We have a vested relationship before the birth happens. We give advice to problems that might arise and options for the situation. We help with prenatal questions, then on into labor, and Post Partum. Many woman that have home births opt for Doula's to help out with Midwives. Doula's are great support in the hospital also. We can help to calm the craziness that sometimes arises there and so much more.

Now why am I taking this on? Because I LOVE the birthing experience!!!! I want to help every woman that I come into contact with, have a happy and joyous birth experience that they will have for their ENTIRE life. I would have loved to go into the medical field, but I do not do needles. So be the support and help to keep mommy-to-be calm and relaxed if she is medicated or not is my little step in that direction. My birth experiences I feel were great, but I also feel they could have been so much more. You know the nurse counting and making you hold your breath for 10 seconds is not really great. Mommy has no oxygen = baby has none. If I had known I could say shut up I would have. There are SO many things that we do not know that we CAN DO. I want to educate mommy's that they know they have rights and are just not some other room occupant.

So I am excited to start this journey and help woman in the miracle of birth. Now some of you might think, um aren't you expecting? Yes so I am not planning on running my self to the ground, but I want to get my feet wet, just a little. I need 3 birth experiences for my certification that will be heavily discounted so I can get the experience, but what my plan to really do right now is Post Partum Doula. What's that? I come into the home after the birth and help out with all the things you and your partner are not up for right now. So light cleaning, cooking, laundry, errands, and most importantly taking care of mom and baby and making sure all is going smoothly with feeding and healing. (All the stuff your mom or mother-in-law may do but maybe can't get there or you can not have them there;0) my mom planned on staying almost a month, yeah she made it not even 2 weeks) I am excited to start this process as soon as possible. Also one major reason I am not jumping into birthing is because when you are with a laboring mom you will also start to contract along with them. 18 weeks is not an ideal time to be contracting. I do not need another miscarriage thank you very much.

So if you know anyone that is interested now or even in the future, keep this info in the back of your head. I would love to share my wealth of information with you so if you have questions, please feel free to ask away.