Doula Interview this Weekend!

I've been searching on-line and among friends' recommendations for a doula, and I found one I really like. Her website explains how she comes to the profession, and the important role her own first doula played in supporting her husband as coach, which is important to Ben. She is not one of those that advocates only for a natural drug-free birth, altho she knows how to do that, too, but she is supportive of my decision to get an epidural. I talked to her last night. She is a childbirth educator too, and a yoga instructor, and will help me to incorporate my yoga breathing and positioning into my labor. Which I think is really cool. Many doulas have websites or are at least on several certified doula network websites, and many of them do hypnotherapy, which seems popular now but I really am not interested in. I would have been happy with massage therapy, but yoga I didn't expect and consider it a big bonus. She has two children, 7 and 4, and has been a doula for 6 years. She lives in Roger's Park in Chicago and can work with my Oak Park/Prentice Hospital locations.

In essence, I get two prenatal visits (tho I'm running out of time for that) and two postnatal visits, one when the baby is a few days old and another a week or two later. I can call her while in labor and she will come to the house and help time contractions and help with pain management and yoga and all that good stuff, and will go along with us to the hospital and stay throughout the entire labor. She will stay for several hours after the birth, too, and assist in getting a good latch-on for breastfeeding. (Prentice also has two lactation consultants on staff who visit within 24 hours of the birth, so I feel pretty well covered. I will still find a number or consultant practice locally to call if having trouble at home. I get lists from Prentice and LaLeche and I have my old list from West Sub, too.)

She's expensive at $800, but that's standard as far as my research tells me. I will get my holiday bonus today at work, and will apply it entirely toward this, and will cut the cost in half. Insurance doesn't cover this. I think it's worth it, tho. Ben says, "If you want a doula, you get a doula, no matter the cost...I don't even get a veto, or even an opinion...maybe just a consultation, if that!" I told him of course I want to find someone who can work with us both! But I do appreciate his cooperation in this. I was so afraid we'd be alone w/ no advocate, with decisions made by strangers/doctors on call and nurses coming and going in shifts, like what happened last time. In any case, my parents will stop in, and my friend Michelle will come by at some point and is willing to help (she's excellent at massage), and if my Aunt Sharon is in town (she may be) she may attend. Prentice lets a lot of people in to the L&D rooms. But I expect what will actually happen is that it will be me, Ben, and Natalie (the doula). I do want some privacy and consistency. (After the baby comes I am looking forward to having guests, especially my mother-in-law Madalen and my Aunt Sharon! Two very special mothering women in my life.)

Natalie's coming on Sunday for an interview with us to make sure we're a good fit. Meeting her is important, our gut reactions to her will be important. Keeping my fingers crossed that she and Ben get along, too. My phone conversation with her already left me feeling very good about her. If this works out I will consider myself lucky, especially considering I'm setting this up so late. But she says it's never too late. She once had someone hire her while already in labor!

Here's her website address: http://www.mamabellybirth.com/

If you Google (Natalie Evans, doula, Chicago), you see her all over the place!