Doulas?

ShannonMVT · #1 January 27th, 2009, 07:52 PM

Who here has used one? Anyone else thinking about it? I emailed a woman and she charges $300. Is that about normal?

I was thinking it might be nice to have one. I'd really like an unmedicated birth but I'm wary about whether I can do it.

As stupid as it is, I'm a little afraid my OB is going to think I am Crazy Miss Uber Crunchy if I have a doula.

I don't even know why I care.

greeneyes · #2 January 27th, 2009, 08:15 PM

I looked into when I was pregnant with Lily and the average rate in Charlotte, NC was $1500. I actually hired a doula who was doing reduced rates in order to get her DONA certificate but it ended up not working out - she had something absolutely terrible happen to her and decided to move to Florida to be closer to her family.

With this pregnancy, we have once again hired a doula and we really, really like her. Her fee is $600 which is pretty typical for what I've seen in the San Antonio and Austin areas. She is doing some Hypnobabies stuff with us as well which is really cool, helps us all stay focused.

I know that Katie had a doula for her birthing, hopefully she will jump on here and give her thoughts!

ShannonMVT · #3 January 27th, 2009, 08:42 PM

Actually this woman I am speaking to is in training as well, it looks like she has done this for awhile but doesn't have certification yet. It still sounds like the $300 fee is pretty reasonable. (I am in the Houston area.)

I am not even sure what method I want to use (Bradley? Hypnobabies?) so I am trying to figure that out too.

LaLaRose3 · #4 January 27th, 2009, 08:45 PM

I would love to have a doula. I need to find one and figure out prices, etc.

soImarriedAnerd · #5 January 27th, 2009, 08:56 PM

i'm very biased since I am a doula LOL but I do plan to have one and $300 is a GREAT rate! I'm looking at $1200 in Chicago area. I charged $300 in SD when I was new and $500 in CO (i was cheap in CO). DON'T worry what the doctor thinks---your having a baby for you not him....plus its not like they really care doctors only pop in the room every 4-6 hours (if that) and then right at the last minute to catch! So they probably will not know if its a doula or a friend or a family member-nor do they care. PLUS the nurses usually LOVE having them because its nice to have some extra hands to help mom out, especially when busy and we can't get in the rooms as much as we like. And unfortunately not all nurses are hands on or pro-natural-its REALLY great to have some one on your "side" that isn't personally involved. And finally doulas do more then just labor support, they also educate you on your options (NEVER giving advice on what to do though), most help with breastfeeding and do at least one follow up post baby appointment (they are great to have there to document whats going on and PERFECT for taking those first pictures so mom and dad can just focus on baby

) The thing that shocked me the most about being a doula was how much my job was to keep the people mom wanted out of the room-out of the room (you would be surprised how many friends/family members show up and want to be involved or are there then start annoying you LOL). And finally doulas are a great support to dads (our job isn't to replace them, but to help them help you, and help them not go crazy LOL).

So I think every women should have them.....some hospitals have them on staff because they are so worth the help to the staff.

LaLaRose3 · #6 January 27th, 2009, 09:15 PM

Angela, where can I find info for doulas where I live?

*Anna* · #7 January 27th, 2009, 09:18 PM

I have one for my birth and I found her through a friend. And she is completing her Dona certification and needs another birth so she isn't charging me a penny! In my area they charge $500-1000. Its crazy!!! But I really want a natural birth and when I told my midwife I was having one she was so happy! I met her last week and she is wonderful! She also knows about Hypnobabies which I'm studying too! So yes go for it! And $300 isn't bad at all!!!

ShannonMVT · #8 January 27th, 2009, 09:32 PM

Thanks Angela for the info. Even though my hospital says it has one on one nursing care, I know they are not going to be as hands on as a doula. Dh thought the nurses would be helping me through the contractions and all that and I was like noooo, not really.

Here is a list of her services.

Pregnancy and Labor Package
Initial consultation meeting (Complimentary)
Two prenatal meetings (One can be at a prenatal appointment to meet your caregiver.)
Birth Plan Assistance
Access to my personal library of pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, herbal, natural family planning, etc., books and information
ASAP telephone and email support during contact hours (8am-8pm)
24/7 on call within 2 weeks of your estimated due date
Around the clock Labor and Birth support once labor has begun
Pictures of labor and birth with my camera as well as yours
Immediate postpartum support of approximately 2-3 hours, or until the baby has nursed successfully and the family is settled
One postpartum visit to discuss your birth, share photos, dote over your new arrival, discuss options for additional support (breastfeeding, cloth diapering, baby wearing, etc.)

Complimentary Postpartum Package
Three months of phone and email support
Discuss your birth as often as you need to remember all the details of the special occasion
Share photos that I�ve taken on my camera
Breastfeeding support
Cloth diapering support
Babywearing support
Access to my personal library of postpartum, herbal, natural family planning, etc., books and information

I think it would really help me and take some of the pressure off of Dh. I was hoping to have my mom there BUT I know it is going to be hard for her to see me in pain and encourage me when I think she'd rather me take meds. Plus I don't know what the situation with my dad will be at that time so I don't feel like I can know for sure that she can be there (plus she's 3.5 hours away).

Frozendesire · #9 January 27th, 2009, 10:15 PM

Comparing the two births I had I can see how nice it would be to have a doula!

With Curtis the nurses came and went and didn't come very often at all. It was just me and James getting through it. Although I didn't mind, as that's what I wanted.

With Dustin we had two nurses that were assigned to us. You normally have one but one was a resident and mirroring the one lady. Anyways, they NEVER left our sight. They were always in our room getting things ready, getting me ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that I wanted. They asked about my birth plan, they were hands on, coached me through the pain and answered all our questions. They were AMAZING. The only thing I totally am kicking myself about was when they asked about my birth plan and I didn't mention that I didn't want any pain med talk. They kept on asking and I was SO close to getting something haha.

Anyways, I know they were only nurses but I really found it SO helpful to have someone there ALL the time unlike the doctor whom peaks in when they have the chance.

Plus they did the running around for juice, Popsicles etc which is SO nice. If they weren't there then hubby would have had to leave to grab stuff.

soImarriedAnerd · #10 January 27th, 2009, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Thanks Angela for the info. Even though my hospital says it has one on one nursing care, I know they are not going to be as hands on as a doula. Dh thought the nurses would be helping me through the contractions and all that and I was like noooo, not really.

Here is a list of her services.

Pregnancy and Labor Package
Initial consultation meeting (Complimentary)
Two prenatal meetings (One can be at a prenatal appointment to meet your caregiver.)
Birth Plan Assistance
Access to my personal library of pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, herbal, natural family planning, etc., books and information
ASAP telephone and email support during contact hours (8am-8pm)
24/7 on call within 2 weeks of your estimated due date
Around the clock Labor and Birth support once labor has begun
Pictures of labor and birth with my camera as well as yours
Immediate postpartum support of approximately 2-3 hours, or until the baby has nursed successfully and the family is settled
One postpartum visit to discuss your birth, share photos, dote over your new arrival, discuss options for additional support (breastfeeding, cloth diapering, baby wearing, etc.)

Complimentary Postpartum Package
Three months of phone and email support
Discuss your birth as often as you need to remember all the details of the special occasion
Share photos that I�ve taken on my camera
Breastfeeding support
Cloth diapering support
Babywearing support
Access to my personal library of postpartum, herbal, natural family planning, etc., books and information

I think it would really help me and take some of the pressure off of Dh. I was hoping to have my mom there BUT I know it is going to be hard for her to see me in pain and encourage me when I think she'd rather me take meds. Plus I don't know what the situation with my dad will be at that time so I don't feel like I can know for sure that she can be there (plus she's 3.5 hours away).[/b]

Thats a VERY nice package for $300 if you can afford it then I think you would be crazy to pass that up! My labor doulas don't do alot for postpartum-there are SEPARATE doulas for that (so another fee for what your getting for free!). So I will be paying more then $300 just for the breastfeeding support post the one doula postpartum visit! GREAT DEAL YOUR GOT!!!!!
I really REALLY wish every nurse was trained in natural labor support and were hands on but so many are NOT and really don't do much with you. Its really a crap shoot. And even the ones who ARE trained and supportive when you need them the most (during transition/transformation) their JOB is to get the room ready and assist the doctor so you lose them anyway to what they HAVE to be doing. Oh one thing I don't see on her list (and it was the reason I was so cheap---which is why I caught it LOL) is she doesn't mention back ups. Does she have a back up in case something happens and she can't be there? (and if she doesn't -do you get a partial refund if she misses). Also WHO did she get her training through? And finally ---how many clients does she take on (i did two a month max, oh and I never missed one birth)? Does she have any other training (hypnobabies, massage, auromatherapy, etc)
Just some good questions to ask.

Places to find a doula-----DONA.com, my blog has a link to doula Net, ask other moms in classes (yoga/bf/bradley/etc), talk to a midwife (even if you NOT using one they should be able to point you in the right direction), ask you provider is your hospital has them on staff, call the labor and delivery floor and ask them (they CAN give recommendations on the NON-hospital affiliated groups) just google it!

Mars · #11 January 28th, 2009, 03:56 AM

I used a midwife and a doula but I can't compare prices because I don't live in the US and our price comparisons are usually very different.

Resi · #12 January 28th, 2009, 05:51 AM

I was going to have one but it didn't work out. It costs between $300-500 to hire one where I live. You can look for a doula that is new and will do it for free or very little because of needing so many births before she is certified. That was what I did.

I'm glad I didn't hire one because I would have still most likely ended up with a c/s.

niknok · #13 January 28th, 2009, 07:15 AM

Mine was $650 in Charlotte. She also is a massage therapist/ hypnobabies instructor. In the end, I labored at home by myself til 10cm, denying I was in labor. So, my doula was only there for 10 minutes before Drake was born. Because of all those crazy circumstances, I don't feel she was worth the money. But the peace of mind knowing she was available in the case of a 3 day labor was invaluable. If you are truly committed to a NCB, I would say get one for sure! You need an advocate other than DH, and someone to remind you of your goals when you've thrown them out the window. Good luck!

soImarriedAnerd · #14 January 28th, 2009, 05:43 PM

Niki did your do any pp care? (now see I had some rules for my fee---if you were less than an hour labor you got a partial refund or extra pp care, but then I would have felt guilty otherwise LOL)

niknok · #15 January 28th, 2009, 05:58 PM

She stayed for two hours after delivery. And she's coming to our house to teach infant massage. But that was all included. I was also kinda hoping she'd give me a price break since it all went so fast and she had to spend so little time with us. No such luck....