Matt and I met a birthing doula in Wallingford yesterday, and we are excited to announce that we have decided to bring her on board the Mullet baby delivery train. Her name is Laura Sanderson. She was a referral of two of my co-workers who have had babies in the last year. Extremely calm, positive and gentle natured, we are confident she'll be just the birthing coach & cheerleader we'll need.
We talked to a lot of friends and family about this. Our friends who never had a doula didn't feel it was necessary. Our friends who did have a doula couldn't say enough great things about it. True, it's not necessary to have a doula in order to give birth. But, just like any service you're willing and able to pay for, it's there to lessen your stress.
For those who are unaware of a doula's purpose (I certainly was until a few short months ago!), a quick breakdown: A doula is essentially there to provide emotional and physical assistance during labor and delivery to the mother and father. Think of it as a personal nurse. Whether it's visiting your house for support if you need her to prior to going to the hospital, being in the delivery room for the long haul serving as a birthing assistant to dad, serving as a messenger for anxious family members, an educator in the delivery room (i.e. explaining medical terminology you may not understand), or making post-delivery visits at your home to answer any questions you may have or just to simply support you--a doula is there for you from beginning to end to offer support. Laura is also a licensed massage therapist, so she provides massage during contractions if needed. Okay, I'll take that thank you!
As first timers, we're not quite sure what to expect. We are not taking a birthing class, so it'll be nice to have a calm presence in the room to help explain things and offer breathing techniques.
At 34 weeks, Mom and baby are peachy keen. Baby is head down, butt up. (My ribs could have told you that!) Baby gets the hiccups every time I eat...and I mean every time. I find this to be very amusing and cute. I'm now signing baby up for yoga classes, as its new favorite thing to do in there is the downward dog.
The nursery is coming together and we are getting ready!
Hugs to you all.
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