I'm Going to Be an Awesome Doula :D

dou·la  [doo-luh]
nouna woman who assists women during labor and after childbirth.

Supposed to be making posts for the Wabi-Sabi Wedding Day blog, but I'm learning doula stuff instead. Both super important things, but new babies are more important. :D

I'm watching this lady's videos, she's pretty cool! She likes "elevator speeches" too. I think everyone should have an elevator speech, even if they aren't entrepreneurs or self-employed. :D


So I had a natural childbirth 1-1/2 years ago, and it was Awesome. Stark contrast with the hospital birth I had almost 8 years ago now. The accepted American thought on child birth seems to be that birth is scary and bad and horribly painful.

hospital birth in 2003 when I was 18

I was scared back in the day at the hospital birth. I tried to read books and magazines to educate myself about what was going to happen, but while I was pregnant I just tried not to think about the birth... you can't control a situation like that anyway. I didn't have much support, either. And when it was time for the birth, they just whisked me through what seemed like an assembly line, doing all sorts of procedures and applying all sorts of monitors, laying me on my back on the bed, giving me stuff to make contractions stronger, more frequent, and more painful, while generally just being annoyed with me, it seemed.

Luckily we made it out without a C-section, but I almost gave into the epidural - thank goodness labor had progressed too far by then, or else I probably would have ended up having a C-section if the muscles I needed to control were numb. :/

Honestly, apart from the great awesomeness of bringing my first son into the world, it was a really bad experience. So when I became pregnant again, I decided to do everything I could do avoid repeating the same thing.

And it was great.

home birth in 2010 :D

My second son was born at home in a birth pool with a midwife and her assistant present, along with the truely awesome Nebberz. I used Hypnobabies to help really just ease the fear - that's where most of the pain comes from I think. Everybody thought I was sleeping when I had contractions, I just zoned out so hard. I don't feel as if I was under hypnosis though, it was really more like deep meditation.

Anyway, I kind of am infuriated that so many women don't know that an awesome, calm birth is totally possible - and I really want to help "spread the word" and help anybody who needs it. So when I met this girl in a local sustainability group, I decided to let her know I'm interested in helping. Since she's interested in sustainability, and she and her husband were in the Peace Corps and all that stuff, they're already pretty "in the know" about birth.

Anyway, her due date was last Wednesday!!! So baby could be coming at any minute. I get to be the chauffeur while she's in labor! I'm so nervous - I'm the only pregnant person I've ever really known, lol. I've hung out with this girl a few times since she agreed to let me help.... but this will be the first birth I'm going to be around! I'm so excited and nervous, and I hope I really do help! :)

Wish me luck... :)

More wedding posts on Wabi-Sabi Wedding Day coming soon! :D