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I just read this yesterday, it was heart breaking. I NEVER give my patients medical advice (I'll provide them with research and materials but never tell them what to do based on my own opinion) but I know some doulas do. Thankfully I think they are in the minority.

What a scary story! I feel like a lot of pro- natural birth stuff acts like doctors are the enemy. I'm thankful I didn't encounter any anti doctor OR anti natural birth sentiments.

I'm so glad you posted this link. The timing of this was seriously just what I needed...I've been agonizing over whether I should try hard to have no interventions or plan ahead for whatever it takes to prevent my seizures from popping up during labor. My doula is pretty hands-off, but this helps me make my decision.

wow, how scary! my doula gave no medical advice. she provided support for me and DH and stayed out of the way of the medical staff. she was essential to me, respectful to the process and respected by my OB and the nurses.

What a scary situation that could have turned out much worse. So glad the baby is healthy and that everything turned out okay.

How heartbreaking, thank goodness her baby ended up being okay! I really don't get this...I'm not criticizing the author because I respect her honestly and willingness to admit how huge of a mistake she made, but in general, why choose a doctor whose advice you don't feel you can fully trust? Maybe I should be thankful I live in an area where there are doctors who support natural birth, but even so, the most basic amount of research would contradict so much of what this doula said - which I fully blame the doula for. And suggesting that she sue the doctor for malpractice? What a pathetic attempt to cover her own ass.

@grizz: yikes.

@MamaMoose: Whoa. I did not see that but completely agree. No excuse for not reporting it!

This is awful. My doula is amazing, and I could never imagine her giving medical advice. She did help us form questions for our OB which was incredibly helpful.

@swedishfish: For now he is - because unfortunately now she treats pediatricians like the enemy as well.

@MamaMoose: this makes me angry. I agree with @grizz: I'd have her in court and I'd make sure she lost her license.

@MamaMoose: I missed that. That is nuts!! Doesn't she want to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else!

@MamaMoose: true...she needs to lose her license though.

@swedishfish: I think I read in the comments that the Doula had failed to renew her certification after 2006.

The woman placed her trust in her Doula and her Doula grossly betrayed that trust. Having said that, I'm a member of several "crunchy" FB groups and it scares me how anti-OB and anti-pedi some of the members are.

@MamaMoose: I do agree that she should report the doula, but I don't know. She has to be pretty traumatized by the whole thing. She seems to be placing all the blame on herself and none on her doula. Perhaps she's still not in a place emotionally to deal with it.

Wow, this is SO super scary! Both that the doula would do that, and that the parents were so "naive" as to just take her word for everything when she is not a medical professional! Unfortunately the super anti-medical-establishment thing is limited to doulas either. My cousin had a home birth midwife who did something very similar. Now, I understand that she IS a medical professional-- but she instructed my cousin to labor at home for more than 48 hrs after her water broke, constantly discouraged her from going to the hospital when she wanted to, and then when she finally DID go to the hospital 2.5 days after her water broke the midwife told her to lie about when her water broke. Luckily mom and baby were fine (after an emergency c-section) but people really need to be their own advocates in choosing who to help them and who to trust with their birth.

(Not that I'm anti-midwife bc I'm not-- I'm actually going to a midwife practice. But there is a difference between trying to minimize unnecessary interventions and abandoning modern medicine that can help save your kid's life)

Well that was hard to read. I really hate the us vs. them mantra. Obviously, in the US there are a lot of unnecessary c-sections which is a shame b/c it leads to this fear mongering. I'm so glad for dr. google allowing me to educate myself and have informed opinions. Birth is a scary experience!

My midwife with S was a lot like this doula. I can see how this woman blindly trusted her. They use a lot of anti-doctor propaganda and pretty much "sell" you their ideas and then take gambles on their clients. I lost my baby because of it and I know of at least one other family that also lost theirs.

I would've definitely reported this doula. DH and I have been taking action in our own story. This should not happen to anyone else.