So, in the beginning, I really wanted to hire a doula, but, after talking to my husband, we decided there was no way we would be able to afford one. I want to have a drug free labor with as few interventions as possible. Couple that with the fact that I'm pretty meek and non-assertive and I've been feeling pressured with things like hospital policies and family expectations and all that nonsense lately. After posting a thread about this, I started emailing doulas in the area again, just to see if I could find someone within my price range (which is dismal at best).

As luck would have it, one of the first women who emailed me back was a student doula who is working towards her certification. She says that she's DONA certified and this would be her first birth. She's about an hour away from us and would only charge $50 for her services. She also mentioned that she's also pregnant atm.

Has anyone here used a student doula before? She says it's her first birth, but if she's had training, she has some experience, right? For $50, I'm definitely going to be meeting with her to see if she'll work out. If anything, I just need someone who can "be on my side", if you will. So I'm thinking that it might not matter so much that this would be her first birth towards her certification. Do you think it would matter if she herself has never given birth?

What sort of questions should I ask her? I know there are tons of threads with "what should I ask my doula?" but is there anything I should ask specifically because she's a student?

I'm pretty pumped now, though, regardless