Anyone employed a doula?

[Kaz1967]

I am seriously thinking of it as I am on my own and suffer from anxiety and panic attacks and particularly as it looks like I will be having this little one in a hospital would like someone in the room with me and there for ME my best friend and Mum live too far away to get here at a drop of a hat and the Dad is not around and most of my local friends have kids of their own so it would not be easy for them either.

What are other peoples experiences?

thanks

I'm pleased that some one has told you to have a look on the thread in pregnancy, i started this hoping to get a few comments and wow, what a response! There has only been one person who has said that it wouldnt be for them! Some o f the people who have made a comment on the thread are doulas them selves! I wish you all the best for the future! Sarah x

Hi Kaz1967, congratulations on your pregnancy!

I'm a Doula and i live in North Devon. If you feel like a chat, my details are on the Doula Uk website, or we can talk on here if you like.

I have worked with a single parent, and married ladies too.

I love being a Doula, and would be delighted to talk to you about the role a Doula plays in pregnany, labour and with the new baby.

Good luck!

I hired a doula, not for birth (as I had an elective c-section) but post-birth. She was brilliant - expensive but worth every penny. She just rolled her sleeves up and did everything in the house that I couldn't do - looked after my toddler, cooked us meals, tidied up, did ironing... And she was really knowledgeable about small babies and a real moral support in the first few weeks when everything is so hard.

I would recommend doulas to anyone who can afford them, and if I was going for a natural birth I would definitely want one.

I am seriously thinking about the antenatal birth and postnatal package with one of the doula's I am seeing because I need some motivation to get my self going at the moment as the depression is starting to settle from time to time, and I want the reassurance of someone being there thought my labour.

And although I'm I'm not that worried about the baby stuff as my jobs for the last 20 years have involved caring for well and sick babies, and I am the one everyone gives their babies too when they cry because most of the time I can settle them. I know it's not going to be the same with mine because I have all these horrid hormones rushing around and making me feel weepy. I think knowing someone will be around or at the end of the phone without the emotional connection my Mum has will just be so reasuring.

Thanks for the offer Rachael I suspect you are a little far away being in north Devon (oh love that part of the country spent so much of my childhood and 20's around Banstable ) but I man in Bristol I have found 5 Doula's near me and have arranged to meet 2 who I have chatted to on the phone and sound lovely another has contacted me but is likely to be on holiday when I am due.

Chin up Kaz those hormones can play havoc with the best of us. I am plsd you are looking at the prospect of getting a doula as you will be nurtured through the whole experience.

I currently have a postnatal doula (have 7 week old twins plus a toddler just turned two). I would not have survived without her! I feel very unstressed as she comes 4 or 5 times a week for a few hours and gives me a break or time to go out with DS1 without the babies.

Would thoroughly recommend it. Did not have one for birth though.

T2M today it's just one of those days my moods are so up and down at the moment does not help that I have a stinking headache too

The more comments I hear about peoples experiences about Doula's the more confident this is the right thing.

I had one and she was wonderful. I'd been planning a home birth and she would have been my midwife (I'm abroad and it's a bit different here in how HB's are organised). Anyway - when I couldn't go ahead with the HB she became my doula instead and it was great - especially as her English was fantastic, and I wasn't in the mood to be playing at linguist at the time!!

Hi Kaz1967, whereabouts in Bristol are you? I am a Birth and Postnatal Doula in Frome. I'm also happy to have a chat with you about the kind of support available.

ooh and taking a nose at your profile I've just finished reading Secret Life of a Slummy Mummy!

whizz in the Fishponds Downend, Staplehill area my email addy is cyclebabe underscore uk at hotmail dot com

Ok I will email you

I love this. Mumsnetter doula-ing for Mumsnetter.

Played havoc with my rules to stay close to home though. Have been known to cross London if the magic word is said. Getting stronger though Now I only cross town for twins!

I have sent you an email Kaz

Can't even being to think of the mileage I have covered to doula for a mummy, but then I probably go to the end of the world if she asked me and wouldn't worry even if it were in a shed if that was where she wanted to have her baby

As I said on the pregnancy thread, I can't imagine having done it without my doula. I was emotionally all over the shop during pregnancy because of my losses, and she validated my feelings, worked with me to understand what I wanted, and was basically everything that I needed during pregnancy, birth, and especially just after.
You so won't regret having a doula !