Lets face it, what we’re all lacking is BALANCE. Being pregnant for the first time I was finding that particularly true, especially in such a polarized culture. It’s already hard to feel safe and secure when you are GROWING A HUMAN but navigating all the varying options/opinions (and motives behind them!) makes having a baby right now even harder. Some people might assume that because I hired a doula, I’m against conventional medicine. Let me say it again… BALANCE. I love doctors! My husband is a cancer survivor and I too have had serious health issues that I might not have survived had it not been for the help of modern medicine and the professional teams that assisted us. That being said, we also can’t ignore the fact that medicine is a business… and unfortunately businesses are all about the bottom line and even the sincerest of health professionals are restricted to the parameters of that business. Am I beyond grateful for those teams of professionals that helped us? Yes! Do I think they’d remember my name if I met them on the street today? Unfortunately no.
I was starting MY FAMILY. I wanted the emotions I associated with that process to be warm, calm and comfortable. I wanted a friend… and that’s what I got.
The second you meet Renée, a weight lifts. You’d get this feeling from her even if she was your Starbucks barista, but fortunately for me she chose a profession where she can really help people. The prenatal education I received from her not only prepared my body for the birth that I was hoping for (My doctors wanted to induce me, I wanted to labor naturally… which I ended up doing successfully), it prepared my mind and heart as well and that is invaluable!
That alone would have made my experience with Renée worth it, but then there was the Big Kahuna, D day, the day we all say we’re excited for but really we’re terrified of, the day your insides actually become part of your outsides… the birth. She was there FOR ME. It was about my family’s experience, because of her. I was able to work through my contracts uninterrupted by questions that could wait, because of her. I didn’t have to endure a painful exam a second time (unnecessary for training), because of her. I was able to embrace my baby as long as I wanted for the first time, because of her. And this is not to mention the actual emotional and physical support she offered me and my Husband the entire time all the while allowing it to be our day and allowing us to feel like we did it ourselves. Maybe she’s a genie, or a fairy, or related to Oprah… either way special doesn’t begin to do her justice.
Because I hired a doula, because I hired Renée, I was the bottom line. From the start to beyond finish (oh yeah, she follows up months after too) I got the balance I was looking for. I understood fully every step of the way what my body was experiencing and what my baby was going through and needing from me.
Doulas are a necessity. They should not be the luxury or option that our culture has turned them into. Every woman deserves this peace of mind. During the most vulnerable moment of her life, every woman deserves this friend.
Curious About What the Dads and Partners Are Saying?
