No cell phone?

[Wendy79]

Is there anyone else out there who doesn't have a cell phone?

I really don't like the idea of having one (though within my lifetime I expect landlines will go away). If I was going to be a full-time doula, I would probably get one for business reasons, but right now I don't have a real need for one...

...but I'm "on call" right now, and without a cell phone I never want to leave the house! I'm usually not gone for more than a couple of hours, and my client will call me the minute she's in labor--it'll take her over an hour to get to the hospital--so I'm not too worried about that. Yesterday I went for a hike and was feeling anxious about missing the call the whole time.

Any suggestions? How did midwives deal with this before cell phones and pagers? I almost got one so I could participate in OSD, but then I found out how much they cost!

[amymaew]

I *just* got my first one what, a month ago? I LOVE it lol. I use it alot now, but I survived for 31 years without one. I think it would be hard to be on call without one though. What about a prepaid? Or a pager - do they still make those?

[Mile High Doula]

I would get a prepaid phone or a pager if you don't want to go with a cellphone and service. You NEED to have something. Your client can deliver in a "couple of hours." My birth was like 4hrs and 13 min. My husband nearly missed it. I would get something ASAP.

[~Tranquility~Doula]

I had a pager from directpage.com when I was in school (because my cell didn't get service in certain areas of the school) for only $89 a year. It even had voicemail. I would look into it if you'll be doing a lot of running around when you're on call.

[MyDreamDoula]

I also suggest getting a pre-paid cell phone. You can use it for your on-call periods only if there is no answer at the home phone.

[DoulaCBE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wendy79 Any suggestions? How did midwives deal with this before cell phones and pagers? I almost got one so I could participate in OSD, but then I found out how much they cost!

Before pagers and cell phones midwives would leave the name/number of the place they could be reached with their answering service or on their answering machines.

Pagers made things much easier.

I've had both a cell phone and a pager at the same time even, but I find a cell phone is really all I need at this point. If I'm going somewhere I know my service will be spotty, I'll leave an alternate contact number with a client.

But the bottom line for me is that once a client determines she needs me it should be no longer than 5-15 minutes from her call TO me until I return her call.

Without a pager or cell phone I'd be stuck home all day, and that's simply not acceptable for me.

You can get plans with a contract for as low as $20 per month depending on the company. You can also go the prepaid route, but I've found they cost more in the long run and you typically can't roll minutes over unless you pay a certain amount each month, typically over $20 and you must maintain service, or you lose any unused minutes.

Also around here may hospitals have lifted the "no cellphones" in L&D, the older analog phones were what typically interfered with monitors, etc, the newer digital service phones don't have that issue.

To make this longer post longer
My home phone and cell phone are connected. I have the option with one number service to have all my home calls ring to my cell phone first, and any unanswered calls be directed to my house, or if my cell phone is off or out of range cell calls route to my home.

So when I'm at a birth and have other clients due around the same time I DE-activeate the one number service and my clients are informed via my voicemail to call me on my cell phone and I will answer there. Only clients, family and my daughter's school have the cell phone number. So emergency calls only come to the cell phone when I'm at births.

[UtahDoula]

What is it about a cell you don't like? Is it just the cost, or do you not like being interrupted. For me, I didn't want to be bothered. When I am at the grocery store, I don't want everybody and their dog to be able to call me of stupid, piddly things. I don't want a hike to be interrupted by a neighbor asking me if I will be bothered that she's putting in red curtains. Etc. etc.
My solution is to be REALLY stingy with my cell phone number. My dh has it, so do my kids' schools. My backup doulas have it. Anyone who cares for my kids has it. My clients get it. And that's IT. My parents don't have it, my siblings don't have it. And so my phone hardly ever rings.
Costwise, the prepaid cell phones really don't save you much - look carefully into that before you go that route.

[tlcdoula]

Honestly I couldn't imagine not having one. I know of one doula in my area who didn't have one for a long time and she didn't get many clients because of it. Even though she was a doula with many years behind her clients were afraid she wouldn't be around when they need her. Now she has a cell phone, but she still doesn't really carry it with her and doesn't answer it. She wants to do back up with people, but no one wants to for fear that she will not be available when called.

Honestly there are mothers out there who birth quickly and might want their doula there asap. I know with my first she was seven hours and it really wasn't until five hours before I had her that I realized I was in labor. Had I hired a doula I would have wanted her there right away and not to make me wait and with my second he was two hours from water breaking to his entrance into the world.

Why not get a prepaid cell phone (like others have mentioned) or you can get a pager. I have a cell phone and pager (beepers.com has them pretty cheap and you get voicemail too).

[Wendy79]

Thanks very much for all the replies--they've been very helpful. My client and I do have an understanding about it, and it's me being anxious about it, not her--she has a special situation and is being induced two weeks before her due date--I suppose I don't need to think of myself as "on call" the week before that induction! It's just human nature, or my nature, anyway.

If I planned to do births regularly from now on, I'd definitely get one. But since this client isn't likely to go into labor before the induction, I'm going to continue sticking around home most of the time, and calling my answering machine every hour if I do happen to be gone.

As for why I don't like cell phones... yeah, it's mostly not wanting to be reachable all the time (except by clients, of course)--and also not wanting people to think I can call them at any time. Cell phones are a terrific thing for certain careers (birth professionals, realtors, caterers--and I love the way nurses can call doctors now and TALK to them, instead of having to page them to come down)--but I can't help it, I dislike the changes they've brought to our culture. Some day I'll have to change with the changing times!

[Neshama]

I dont have one either...
nice thread!
I've been thinking about a good pager.
I need clients first though...

[AussieDoula]

I use a prepaid tracfone. Unless I am on call, I don't even turn it on. I check messages and return calls before the end of the day to any prospective clients, current clients, or birth professionals that may have called - these are the only people (beside my DP) who have my number. My tracfone is only for business calls, and it's easier to keep track of the separate finances that go toward it this way.

I am the same way with my home number too. Only my mother, my best friend, DP's best friend, and Tiffany here at AllDoulas has it. DP's work doesn't even have our home number - instead they have DP's prepaid tracfone number. I am selective about who I want calling me, and I don't feel ruled by the phone or pressured to answer any calls if the phone rings and I just don't have time or don't feel like talking. If it's important, the caller will leave a message or call back. For instance, if I am giving DC a bath, I will turn the answering machine on, then either just let the phone ring or I will turn the ringer off before-hand so it doesn't bother me. I have a phone for my own convenience - not everyone elses.

[1stimestar]

I use a prepaid through my telephone company. My minutes are good until I use them up. They never expire and I don't have to use them in a certain amount of time. Only doula clients have the number. My son's school DID have it but I had to tell his aid to quit calling me on it unless she was going to pay for it as she was calling me 5 times a day. $20 gets me 95 minutes which last me normally a couple of months.

[syncreo]

I have the same thing as Georganne. My clients have my number, and I leave it for caregivers. Other than that NOBODY calls me on my cell. I don't like being constantly available to anyone but my clients and anyone looking after my children.

[MothertheMother]

I can't imagine not having a cell phone! I don't get many calls but it makes me feel much more comfortable knowing my dd school can reach me all of the time. If someone is calling and I don't want to chat I just don't answer...thats what the voice mail is for. My husband is the kind that answers the phone just to say he is busy and will call me back in a minute...I think this is wierd lol The best part is not being charged for minutes between our cells. Really...I use it more to talk to him than anyone else lol We've recently starting using more texting, though. I love that I can ask him to pick up milk via text without worrying about interrupting him at work (I hate calling him when he is at work).

If I'm home and a client calls my cell I let it go to voice mail and just call back from my home phone. When I get a bit busier I might take advantage of the call forwarding features but that won't be any time soon!

[brilliant]

i couldn't imagine life without one. here in toronto it's unheard of to not have a cell phone and certainly no doula could operate here if they didn't have one.