https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:28:59 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-doulalots-of-s#post-239713 Sat, 28 Jul 2012 22:47:19 +0000 Arden 239713@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lydg: Did you try <a href="http://www.doulamatch.net?" rel="nofollow">http://www.doulamatch.net?</a> Also try <a href="http://www.dona.org/mothers/find_a_doula.php/" rel="nofollow">http://www.dona.org/mothers/find_a_doula.php/</a> and <a href="http://www.findadoula.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.findadoula.com/</a>. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-doulalots-of-s#post-239443 Sat, 28 Jul 2012 16:11:46 +0000 brownie 239443@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had a doula. I don't really feel like I got anything during labor really (I had an easy labor). </p> <p>I was very happy after the birth. I started passing out (lots of blood loss) and my husband was able to stay with the baby and she stayed with me. She kept giving me juice every time I came to. So I loved it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-doulalots-of-s#post-239400 Sat, 28 Jul 2012 15:15:55 +0000 matador84 239400@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@arden far west Texas...Amarillo. I looked on a national registry and the only ones I could find were in Lubbock. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-doulalots-of-s#post-239394 Sat, 28 Jul 2012 15:03:17 +0000 Mrs. Pen 239394@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't have a doula per say, but a midwife. I was going to have my mw deliver my son too, but I became high-risk and had to be induced at a hospital. But she stayed with me and she really did help me so much. Even though the doctor I had was nice, she was such a warm and calming presence. She helped me with breathing and positioning during labor. But it was actually post-birth that she was the most helpful.<br /> I was so tired and so out of it I just wanted to let the Dr. do whatever and tell me what to do. My mw really stepped in and was asking me questions very gently about what I wanted. Like, when my son turned blue they had to take him to a sub-room with an incubator, and she toldd me that I could ask them to move the incubator to where I could see him, and they did. She had so many great ideas, things I know I had wanted before giving birth, but definitely wasn't thinking of in the moment.</p> <p>I had the blessing of having a GREAT team of nurses and everyone followed my birth plan and was so respectful of me. But I can imagine even how much more essential she would have been had I been in a hospital environment where they weren't very respectful of my wishes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-doulalots-of-s#post-239363 Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:33:18 +0000 hilsy85 239363@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz: thank you for your input! It sounds like your doula was great. </p> <p>Anyone else? :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-doulalots-of-s#post-239216 Sat, 28 Jul 2012 12:07:37 +0000 Arden 239216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lydg: What area do you live in? I can refer you to a couple of sites to find doulas, and also doulas-in-training that work for reduced rates and aren't listed on most websites. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-doulalots-of-s#post-239211 Sat, 28 Jul 2012 11:59:38 +0000 matador84 239211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz GEEZ...I guess I would get some bang for my buck. There aren't even 3 to interview around here. It is just not common practice to have a doula, but I don't have any family around and not sure how DH would handle childbirth! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-doulalots-of-s#post-239203 Sat, 28 Jul 2012 11:53:03 +0000 mrsjazz 239203@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lydg: Ours was $1,000! We interviewed 3 doulas--2 were $300 but ultimately we clicked more with ours. She was expensive but worth the price. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-doulalots-of-s#post-239194 Sat, 28 Jul 2012 11:43:13 +0000 matador84 239194@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yeah, she is an 1.5 away by car...she seems like she'd be great. How much was yours? She is about $600. I would just need to make sure it's worth it, that is a ton of money! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-doulalots-of-s#post-239190 Sat, 28 Jul 2012 11:35:10 +0000 Schmei 239190@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our hospital had a relationship with a volunteer doula group, and they offered to call one on my second day of labor. She was WONDERFUL. Her personality really meshed with ours, and she didn't push DH out of the way at all - she was just another member of the team. She did allow him to take a break now and then, though, which he really needed as we'd been at the hospital for 2 nights. She was also a liasion for my family who were pacing around the waiting room at that point. She calmed everyone down. </p> <p>My labor was induced and didn't progress. We tried absolutely everything to get it moving along, but I stalled at 3.5cm and after 20+ hours of pitocin-induced back labor with no epidural and no progress, I had a c-section. The doula really helped me try EVERYTHING: different laboring positions, etc. She was so encouraging and so supportive. By the time I was being prepped for surgery (after midnight... she'd arrived around 10am that day) I knew this was the only option, and I knew we'd exhausted all other possibilities. </p> <p>Looking back, I think I would have had a lot more regrets about the process if we hadn't had the doula there. She was really great. If there's any kind of volunteer doula group connected with your hospital, check them out! We couldn't afford to hire one so I was really grateful for a volunteer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-doulalots-of-s#post-239177 Sat, 28 Jul 2012 11:16:56 +0000 mrsjazz 239177@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lydg: My doula was 1.5 hours away by public transportation/45 minutes by car. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-doulalots-of-s#post-239164 Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:58:28 +0000 matador84 239164@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I really want a doula but there are none in the area I live in! The closest one is over an hour away. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-doulalots-of-s#post-239153 Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:35:58 +0000 mrsjazz 239153@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and my doula were a great team. He provided me with the support that only a husband can. Yes, I could have learned all the things she told me/did on my own but in labor it was helpful to have her there. I was planning on a natural birth so she kept reminding me to breathe, handing me protein bars, keeping me walking, drinking liquids, and she gave me great massages. We ended up transferring to the hospital from the birth center and I was stuck in a triage room for 5 hours hooked to a machine. My doula was on top of things--she made that 5 hours more bearable and helped reassure me when things got tricky and I ended up with a C-section. My doula also helped with doing skin to skin and trying to breastfeed while I was in recovery after the C-section (and this was a battle with the nurses!)</p> <p>Long story short: She went above and beyond what I thought she would do, I think of her as our third teammate in the process. My husband loved having her, too. He said she kept him reassured, too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-a-doulalots-of-s#post-239079 Sat, 28 Jul 2012 09:22:43 +0000 hilsy85 239079@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What was your experience like with her? What do you feel that she provided for you during the labor/delivery experience? Do you feel like you could have learned all the things that she told you/did with you on your own? And finally, do you feel that your DH/SO still played a significant role in the process, or was he kind of pushed to the side? If you had a doula, did you have an un-medicated birth? If you did have an epidural, did you feel like a doula was still helpful?</p> <p>(We're obviously trying to figure out if we want to use a doula. Would love to hear from people who have! :) ). </p>