Doula-ing Ourselves

AngelaKM · 09-05-2007, 11:56 PM

This has probably been asked before...
How has being a doula affected your own birth experiences?
I was a doula for a very short time (2 mo) before my 3rd baby was born, and really found that being a doula interfered with my birth or tainted my labor in that I was really in my head, remembering my doula training. Too much information

UtahDoula · 09-06-2007, 12:18 AM

I had the opposite experience. During my labor, I was in the tub, and the stupid jets were blasting right on my nipples, it was kind of irritating. And yet I could not figure out why my labor had picked up so much after I got in the tub, it was supposed to relax me not make things stronger!
Two days later I was in the shower and the spray triggered some afterpains, and I went "Duh!"
I was just NOT in left brain, clinical doula mode at all in labor.
And I have been a doula for 4 other doulas. And every time, I kept thinking "She knows what I'm trying to do here" - like if I tried to stall her when she was having a tough time in transition. And every single time, at the postpartum, they said things like "I thought you were such a genius coming up with that idea in labor, and yet it is a pretty basic concept!"
So my thinking is that it isn't necessarily a doula/nondoula thing at all. I think there are some people who just have a really difficult time letting go of left brain, analytical thinking in labor. You probably had a harder time with that labor because there was more to hang on to, if that makes sense. It is more of a general personality trait.

DoulaCBE · 09-06-2007, 12:35 AM

Being a pregnant doula was much harder than being an in labor and birthing doula for me. I had 2 babies before I became a doula, one after.

Once I hit laber intuition and instinct takes over.

Being pregnant and knowing so much was much harder on me but not something that caused me concern on a regular basis.

Firefly · 09-06-2007, 02:08 PM

I am expecting baby number three and while the knowledge and experience I have gained has been mostly empowering for me, there is a bit of a down side. Sometimes I over think things because of what I know. It has it's ups and downs (or is that just the hormones?!)

MIA-D · 09-06-2007, 02:24 PM

I was totally more empowered after I became a doula. I knew what I wanted and didn't want and asked for it and got it. I even got to pull my baby up as he was being born. It was totally the coolest thing!

Heather

AngelaKM · 09-07-2007, 01:15 PM

, Ladies.
I am totally an analytical thinker and knowing so much got me into a thinking pattern that sucked me right out of labourland. The funniest was I had back labour with this last little guy and all fours position drove me nuts, and I was saying to myself "in training, they said all fours is so helpful, I must be doing something wrong". I had a doula, but she bugged me in labour, too. LOL I so do not want to get a client like me.

DoulaMorgan · 09-07-2007, 02:23 PM

I became a doula after baby #1, and I think it helped immensely for baby #2. Everytime my doula would suggest something in labor for #2, I'd think, "that's a great idea, she's a good doula!" I think it made everything more clear in my head. I was in a complete labor trance with #1,with #2, I was more clear headed because I knew what was going on, does that make sense?

jesscardona · 09-07-2007, 02:29 PM

Yeah, this is something I keep in the back of my head for when ever I get preg. again, especially since I want to go for a VBAC.. about having a doula or not.

aurorabirth · 09-07-2007, 08:34 PM

I think becoming a doula only helped, in no way was negative.

I became a doula after my 3rd.

I had my fourth unassisted at home.