To Doula or Not to Doula?

Ok, I am not pregnant. So, no suspense on the answer to that question.

I have, however, recently had many conversations with doulas and so wish I had known more about them four years ago. At one point or another during my first pregnancy, we probably heard the word "doula" and dismissed it as someone for people who are having babies in their home, without a doctor, and without drugs, so we didn't give it a second thought.

In the last few months, I have learned so much about doulas and how they can help from the great ladies at the Tallahassee Doula Co-op. They even host Doula Speed Dating events where you have the opportunity to meet several doulas and see if you connect with one of them or if you are even interested in using one.

Many of the opportunities to meet with these girls has been through Mom's Time Out Tallahassee, a group I helped start to help connect local moms with each other. The original idea for MTO was hatched by four local moms-in-business to get our friends together. MTO events are more than just a traditional craft show or market, being an opportunity to meet other local moms and to also learn about local resources, like the Tallahassee Doula Co-op.

Lindsey Morrow with the Tallahassee Doula Co-op posted today about the MTO Summer Festival held this past Saturday, equating the women they met at the event to "huntresses" looking for information. I think the post by Lindsey with Rising Birth Services is such a great overview of things to think about if you are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant.

Whether this is your first pregnancy, second, third, or more, if you feel like you could be missing something or you just want to be more conscientious about your delivery, these great girls may be able to help.

In our world of getting the best this, and the quickest that, we are oh so willing to hire consultants to plan weddings and parties, to contract with a lobbyist or communications firm for our businesses, and to seek financial advisers. However, when we get pregnant and are going to have a baby, why don't we seek help from people trained to help us through having the best delivery experience we can? We get advice, some solicited and some not, from mom, family, friends, and it helps us to shape what we expect, but we may not know about all of the options and how to best make sure we are taken care of in the hospital.

For those of you who are like me, know that many of these girls want to help you with the right options for you, from epidural to not, from c-section to a home birth. They are there to support you. If you have already had pregnancies, especially difficult ones and are considering more kids, they may be able to help give you the support you need to go for it.

Take a chance and learn about them. You may just find yourself getting enough confidence to consider another one!

Resources I mentioned: Tallahassee Doula Co-op

Doulas from the Co-op:

Lindsey Morrow, Mother Rising Birth Services

Leslee Boldman, Bold Birth Doula Services

Celeste Bracey, Embracing Birth Doula Services