...is to have a healthy mama and baby."
Oh, how many times I've heard that. It seems like it's most commonly said to women who have gone through a traumatic birth experience and/or have regrets about their birth experience. And it does. not. help.
I absolutely agree that, in emergency situations, the top priority is to ensure the health of mother and child. But how often is that the case? How often are medical interventions in birth really necessary? How common are these true emergency situations?
Not as common as the medical community would have you think. I'll go into statistics on all that after I've done more research and such, in later posts, but suffice it to say that birth is over-medicalized, and expectant mamas are treated as ticking time bombs that could explode at any time, when that is most definitely not the case in the majority of situations.
So, to my main point: in emergencies, the health of mother and child are absolutely more important than her "birth experience." But when it is unnecessary interventions that have led to those emergencies, it is perfectly reasonable for the mother to feel upset, and the last thing she needs to hear is someone belittling her feelings by telling her she should "just be grateful to have a healthy baby." It is a woman's right to have/try for the birth experience she wants, and when she's pushed into interventions that aren't needed and are against her wishes (or that she doesn't understand the risks of) and they lead to a birth that is the opposite of what she wants, then we have a serious problem.
A mother will remember her child's birth forever, and she deserves the best possible chance to have the birth she wants, to have her wishes respected, and to be able to mourn if things don't go according to plan. So don't tell her she's "lucky" she and baby came through it okay. Don't tell her that that's the "most important thing." She already knows that. If she's unhappy with the way things went, because she feels that it didn't need to go the way it did, let her say it. Let her feel it. Don't tell her that her feelings aren't important because the outcome was good. The experience wasn't, and the experience will never be forgotten.
Listen to her, support her, and help her to cope. But never, never, NEVER tell her that her personal feelings don't matter. Because that's what the phrase, "the most important thing is to have a healthy mama and baby," screams to a mother who is mourning the birth experience she wanted and didn't have, for whatever reason, and may never have, now.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Why Your OB (or Midwife) Hates Birth Plans
If you've had kids, you've probably been there: arriving at the hospital either in labor or for your induction or c-section, birth plan in your hands (or just in your mind). You know how you want things to go. You have your heart set on a certain kind of birth, and you're determined to stick to your guns. You expect everything to go according to your wishes, because gosh darn it, you worked hard on all this research and forming your plans for birth!
Unfortunately, it's pretty unlikely that everything will go according to plan. Birth is unpredictable, and you (and your care provider) cannot predict what will happen. Even if you've had a baby before and you "know what you're doing," that still doesn't mean you know how your labor and birth will pan out (trust me, I've been there). Birth is not a controllable thing, and even though there are things you can do to smooth the way to the birth you want (like hiring a doula, taking childbirth classes, and developing a good relationship with your OB/midwife), there are no guarantees.
This is why birth plans are so often scoffed at. Women who cling to these plans sometimes have a harder time going with the flow, trusting their doctor when things need to change, and they are generally less satisfied with their experience when it's all said and done. OB's and midwives (the good ones who have your wishes and interests at heart, not their agendas) need to know that you trust them to do what's best, even if it's not what you "wanted." And the "bad" OB's and midwives hate birth plans because they generally mean you're an educated mama who knows her rights and won't be pushed around for their convenience.
The point of a birth plan is to make your wishes known. It is your "ideal circumstances." Your birth plan should also include your wishes should something go "wrong," such as the need for forceps/episiotomy/emergency cesarean. Your birth plan needs to be flexible. You can't go into labor expecting things to go exactly as you want, and you have to be able to roll with the punches, so to speak. If an emergency situation arises, you need to know how you're most comfortable handling things, which procedures you prefer, what non-medical solutions there are, and what you'd like to try first.
So go ahead. Make your birth plan. Go over it with your care provider. Find out their policies and what they routinely do/don't do. But just remember, you have to be flexible. Having a solid birth philosophy and arming yourself with knowledge of everything that could happen or your provider might do (and your provider's birth philosophy) is the best birth "plan" of all.
Unfortunately, it's pretty unlikely that everything will go according to plan. Birth is unpredictable, and you (and your care provider) cannot predict what will happen. Even if you've had a baby before and you "know what you're doing," that still doesn't mean you know how your labor and birth will pan out (trust me, I've been there). Birth is not a controllable thing, and even though there are things you can do to smooth the way to the birth you want (like hiring a doula, taking childbirth classes, and developing a good relationship with your OB/midwife), there are no guarantees.
This is why birth plans are so often scoffed at. Women who cling to these plans sometimes have a harder time going with the flow, trusting their doctor when things need to change, and they are generally less satisfied with their experience when it's all said and done. OB's and midwives (the good ones who have your wishes and interests at heart, not their agendas) need to know that you trust them to do what's best, even if it's not what you "wanted." And the "bad" OB's and midwives hate birth plans because they generally mean you're an educated mama who knows her rights and won't be pushed around for their convenience.
The point of a birth plan is to make your wishes known. It is your "ideal circumstances." Your birth plan should also include your wishes should something go "wrong," such as the need for forceps/episiotomy/emergency cesarean. Your birth plan needs to be flexible. You can't go into labor expecting things to go exactly as you want, and you have to be able to roll with the punches, so to speak. If an emergency situation arises, you need to know how you're most comfortable handling things, which procedures you prefer, what non-medical solutions there are, and what you'd like to try first.
So go ahead. Make your birth plan. Go over it with your care provider. Find out their policies and what they routinely do/don't do. But just remember, you have to be flexible. Having a solid birth philosophy and arming yourself with knowledge of everything that could happen or your provider might do (and your provider's birth philosophy) is the best birth "plan" of all.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
When to Make Your "Birth Plan" and Form Your Birth Philosophy
When is the best time to do your research and decide how you feel about induction, c-section, natural pain management, epidurals, nitrous oxide use, home birth, midwives vs OB's, AROM (artificial rupture of membranes), episiotomy, labor augmentation, etc.? Here's a bit of advice from a mama who's been there: certainly not the day of your 39-week appointment! I was pregnant with my first baby, and I had a natural labor in mind, and I'd read the typical books (What to Expect When You're Expecting, Your Pregnancy Week-By-Week, and so on), but I had no idea about all the factors involved, all the choices I would have to make, and the risks and benefits of everything. So imagine my surprise when my OB told me that if I hadn't gone into labor by my due date, she would schedule an ultrasound to see if the baby was ok and if I should be induced. I had had a perfectly smooth pregnancy, and I hadn't imagined that anything would go wrong, and being faced with that unexpected information sent me reeling. I went home and feverishly read everything I could find on the pros and cons of labor induction, and I was totally freaking out. My hormonal, pregnant body and mind couldn't cope. I was getting very tired of being pregnant, and at that point, the idea of being induced and ending my pregnancy seemed very appealing to me. I had the advice of my mom to go on (she had one natural, unmedicated labor and one induced, and she warned me to never let them induce me, because it was terrible), but I just wasn't thinking clearly at that point.
I was fortunate, very fortunate, that I went into labor at 39 weeks 1 day, and I didn't have to make that decision.
The worst possible time to educate yourself and form your opinions on everything birth-related is toward the end of pregnancy. You're tired, you ache, your hormones are raging, and you want nothing more than for it to just be over. I've seen women who did not have a solid philosophy agree to things in their labors and births that they never would have under normal circumstances, and that they regret later.
The best way to go about researching and developing your philosophy is to do it before you get pregnant, or early enough in your pregnancy that you're not tired of it yet. That exhaustion changes a person. (Don't believe me? Ask my husband.) Look up all the options, possible complications and interventions, and decide how you feel about every one of them before you're faced with a critical decision, and you're less likely to do something you'll regret later, out of desire to simply "get it over with." If you're armed with knowledge and strong opinions going into pregnancy, you'll have an easier time achieving the birth you want.
I was fortunate, very fortunate, that I went into labor at 39 weeks 1 day, and I didn't have to make that decision.
The worst possible time to educate yourself and form your opinions on everything birth-related is toward the end of pregnancy. You're tired, you ache, your hormones are raging, and you want nothing more than for it to just be over. I've seen women who did not have a solid philosophy agree to things in their labors and births that they never would have under normal circumstances, and that they regret later.
The best way to go about researching and developing your philosophy is to do it before you get pregnant, or early enough in your pregnancy that you're not tired of it yet. That exhaustion changes a person. (Don't believe me? Ask my husband.) Look up all the options, possible complications and interventions, and decide how you feel about every one of them before you're faced with a critical decision, and you're less likely to do something you'll regret later, out of desire to simply "get it over with." If you're armed with knowledge and strong opinions going into pregnancy, you'll have an easier time achieving the birth you want.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Taking My "Baby Steps"
Here I am, starting a new blog, going crazy with writing, bursting with energy and enthusiasm and desire to start attending births right now!! Pregnant mamas need support, and I want to be out there lending it to them!
So what steps am I taking to make all this happen? I mean, technically, you don't have to be "certified" to take doula clients, as doulas aren't medical professionals, just support personnel. However, I feel strongly that the care given as a doula needs to come from a basis of education, knowledge of statistics, study, and the like, and not just personal opinion. Having that certification will put authority behind my philosophies and such, and give my clients the confidence that I know what I'm talking about, because I have taken the time to become educated. How could I tell mothers to educate themselves if I hadn't done it myself?
My first step right now is researching different doula certification programs and organizations. It's difficult to meet a lot of the requirements right now, seeing as I have two little ones to care for and that makes it hard to travel to workshops and the like, so I'm trying to find a credible online program that I can do at my convenience and balance with motherhood. I'm leaning toward Childbirth International at the moment, because they have a program that seems to fit my needs. I haven't formally decided or signed up yet, but that's where my inclinations lie. I'm waiting to start until my husband completes the online course he's taking, but that won't take more than a few months, and by then I'll have made my decision and can get signed up.
Until then, I'm reading reading reading. I'm researching everything I can think to research, and building a knowledge base so that when I start the doula course, I can breeze through it faster because I'll already have studied so much of the material. It helps that I've personally given birth twice, so I know the ins and outs of the labors I had, so that will lend me a lot of credibility to potential clients, in addition to the certification. I'll need at least 2 "practice" clients to gain certification, so contact me once I've started the process if you're interested in a free-of-charge doula who's learning the ropes, but not totally inexperienced in the labor and delivery world!
So what steps am I taking to make all this happen? I mean, technically, you don't have to be "certified" to take doula clients, as doulas aren't medical professionals, just support personnel. However, I feel strongly that the care given as a doula needs to come from a basis of education, knowledge of statistics, study, and the like, and not just personal opinion. Having that certification will put authority behind my philosophies and such, and give my clients the confidence that I know what I'm talking about, because I have taken the time to become educated. How could I tell mothers to educate themselves if I hadn't done it myself?
My first step right now is researching different doula certification programs and organizations. It's difficult to meet a lot of the requirements right now, seeing as I have two little ones to care for and that makes it hard to travel to workshops and the like, so I'm trying to find a credible online program that I can do at my convenience and balance with motherhood. I'm leaning toward Childbirth International at the moment, because they have a program that seems to fit my needs. I haven't formally decided or signed up yet, but that's where my inclinations lie. I'm waiting to start until my husband completes the online course he's taking, but that won't take more than a few months, and by then I'll have made my decision and can get signed up.
Until then, I'm reading reading reading. I'm researching everything I can think to research, and building a knowledge base so that when I start the doula course, I can breeze through it faster because I'll already have studied so much of the material. It helps that I've personally given birth twice, so I know the ins and outs of the labors I had, so that will lend me a lot of credibility to potential clients, in addition to the certification. I'll need at least 2 "practice" clients to gain certification, so contact me once I've started the process if you're interested in a free-of-charge doula who's learning the ropes, but not totally inexperienced in the labor and delivery world!
My Personal Birth Philosophy
Everyone who has had kids, is expecting, or wants to have kids someday, has their own ideas of how pregnancy, labor, and delivery "should be." Everyone has an opinion. Not all of them, however, are educated opinions, and instead of simply listening to your friends and midwives and nurses and doctors and basing your opinion off of theirs, do some research and form your own opinion. That is what I did, and that is what I encourage every pregnant mama (and her partner) to do. Here's a good article regarding the importance of forming your own birth philosophy: http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/labor-and-delivery/birth-philosophy_71242
So now, I'm going to lay out what my personal birth philosophy is, and why:
"If it's not broken, don't fix it."
It's as simple as that. I believe that the human female's body was made to give birth (as all mammals were), and that it can be trusted to do the right thing. There are of course exceptions, but in general, a woman's body knows how to grow a baby, when it should be born, how to birth, how to feed a baby, and how to recover, and she requires little to no intervention to do things as nature intended. Pregnancy is not dangerous, or an illness, or something to be feared. It is a natural process that our mothers, and their mothers, and so on and so forth, have been doing throughout the ages, and if our bodies didn't know how to do it, well, our species wouldn't still be here, would it?
I also believe in the necessity of good prenatal care. Yes, nature knows what it's doing, but as I stated before, there are exceptions. Monitoring the health of mother and baby, without expecting anything to go wrong, is an integral part of ensuring a good labor and delivery, even if all it does is instill confidence in mom that she's strong and healthy and she can do it. I do not, however, believe a pregnant woman should be treated as if she's made of glass and about to break at any second. The last thing she needs is to be bombarded by her care provider with everything that could go wrong, if there's no evidence that any of it will happen to or affect her. Deal with things as they come up, but there is no reason to assume that anything will go wrong without sufficient evidence.
That, in a nutshell, is my birth philosophy. Trust your body, and it won't fail you, even if things don't go exactly as planned. Educate and trust yourself, and no matter what you choose or what happens, you'll feel empowered in your birth.
So now, I'm going to lay out what my personal birth philosophy is, and why:
"If it's not broken, don't fix it."
It's as simple as that. I believe that the human female's body was made to give birth (as all mammals were), and that it can be trusted to do the right thing. There are of course exceptions, but in general, a woman's body knows how to grow a baby, when it should be born, how to birth, how to feed a baby, and how to recover, and she requires little to no intervention to do things as nature intended. Pregnancy is not dangerous, or an illness, or something to be feared. It is a natural process that our mothers, and their mothers, and so on and so forth, have been doing throughout the ages, and if our bodies didn't know how to do it, well, our species wouldn't still be here, would it?
I also believe in the necessity of good prenatal care. Yes, nature knows what it's doing, but as I stated before, there are exceptions. Monitoring the health of mother and baby, without expecting anything to go wrong, is an integral part of ensuring a good labor and delivery, even if all it does is instill confidence in mom that she's strong and healthy and she can do it. I do not, however, believe a pregnant woman should be treated as if she's made of glass and about to break at any second. The last thing she needs is to be bombarded by her care provider with everything that could go wrong, if there's no evidence that any of it will happen to or affect her. Deal with things as they come up, but there is no reason to assume that anything will go wrong without sufficient evidence.
That, in a nutshell, is my birth philosophy. Trust your body, and it won't fail you, even if things don't go exactly as planned. Educate and trust yourself, and no matter what you choose or what happens, you'll feel empowered in your birth.
Who Am I, and Why Do I Want to be a Doula?
My name is Erin, and I am the mother of two beautiful little girls. One is almost 2 1/2, the other just turned 4 months old. I love every aspect of being a mother, even if there are sometimes things I don't like. I was blessed to have 2 good, healthy pregnancies, 2 easy deliveries, and 2 robust, healthy babies. Sure, not everything went according to plan, and a few things happened (particularly in my first birth) that I wish hadn't, but all in all they were good experiences. I wrote my birth stories in my other blog, and if you want to read them, you can find them here: http://erinkazmark.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-birth-storyies.html Being pregnant feels like my natural state of being, and though there are downsides I could do without (heartburn, running to the bathroom all the time, back and pelvic aches, anyone?), I absolutely love it. Giving birth is the most amazing thing I have ever done, and I look forward to when the time comes for me to do it again someday.
I've reached the age where friends and family about my age are having kids, too. Sometimes it seems like everyone is expecting! I get so excited when they make their announcements and hit milestones in their pregnancies, but when that due date nears, it seems like all the critics come out of the woodwork, and everyone knows what's "best." No one seems to take into account what the mother wants out of her birth experience, or what she needs to hear, and that goes for their doctors as well as their friends. I see so many women with regrets about their deliveries, whether from unnecessary interventions that they agreed to at the time because their doctor pushed it, being induced and it failing or the baby ending up being born too early or some other complication, ending up with an unwanted c-section, accepting pain medication and wishing they hadn't, or simply not being able to have the birth they want because no hospital or birthing center in their area offers it or their insurance won't cover it. What's even worse is when their friends judge them for their choices simply because they're different choices than they themselves made/would have made. The last thing an anxious, pregnant mama needs is judgement from the very people who should be cheering her on and supporting her decisions, regardless of whether or not they agree with them.
That being said, I do think a lot of hasty decisions are being made by expectant mothers (especially first-timers) who aren't given all the facts by their OB's and/or midwives. Lack of education is ridiculously common, particularly among OB patients, because we're still breaking out of the age of "do whatever your doctor says, even if you have reservations" and into the age of "educate yourself and make your own choices based on what you want and what you think is best, and get a second opinion or find a new doctor if you don't agree with their philosophy." Doctors far too commonly use scare tactics to get women to do what they want, whether it's an induction, a planned c-section, an episiotomy or use of forceps or vacuum, birthing positions, labor augmentation, and so on and so forth. What these doctors seem to forget is that not all women are alike, no two pregnancies are alike, no two babies are alike, and all should have care individually tailored to them instead of being shoved into the same general mode and method of treatment as all other women/pregnancies/babies. Just because something is the way it has "always been done" does not mean it is necessarily the right way.
Something else that the medical community seems to ignore is that childbirth is a deeply personal experience, and it can very easily become traumatic if ill-handled. Labor and delivery aren't like having surgery or some other medical procedure. It's an emotional experience, one that the mother will remember for her entire life, and it's unfair to put her through something traumatic and against her wishes (if it's unnecessary) for the sake of a doctor or hospital's convenience. It's unfair to push her around and not offer her every single option that's out there so that she can choose the birth she wants. It's unfair to tell her it's selfish to want some measure of control over her pregnancy and labor. And it's unfair to tell her she can't have the birth she wants, unless there's a good medical reason behind it. We have to live with our birth experiences forever, and we should have the right to do everything in our power to make sure we remember them with pride and love, and not regret and pain.
It is for these reasons that I want to become a doula. I'll admit, when I first heard about doulas, I thought, "Oh, they must be the hippie-dippie types who only deal with natural, unmedicated home births and think anyone who uses a doctor or goes to a hospital or does anything remotely 'medical' in their pregnancies is bad and wrong." So I did some research, and watched a friend go through the process of becoming a doula, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that that wasn't the case at all! The DONA International website defines a doula thusly:
Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.
A Birth Doula
As a doula, I want to make sure that all my clients know all the risks and benefits of any procedure or type of birth they are considering so that they can choose what works best for them, and then support them in their choices and help them to achieve their goals realistically.
I, of course, have my own birth philosophy, but that will not stand in the way of my supporting women with different philosophies and desires about their personal birth experiences. I intend to outline my philosophy in a later post, just to get it out there, but I beg everyone to remember that it's just my personal opinion and will have no effect on my impartiality as a doula. I simply think that it's fair to let potential clients know where I stand, so that if they vastly disagree with me and feel they cannot work with me due to my personal feelings, regardless of whether the issue ever comes up, they will know it all up front and be able to make their decision whether or not to invite me into their delivery room. It's important for expectant mothers to have someone they feel comfortable with in the delivery room, and whose philosophy is in harmony with theirs, so they know that their doula is on their side, without reservation, and hasn't tried to convince them to do things her way. Doulas exist to combat that pushiness. All I intend to push is self-education and making informed choices!
So there you have it! That is who I am, where I am coming from, why I want to be a doula, and what I intend to do as a doula! I hope that, if you're not sure if a doula is right for you, that this gave you some good information so that you can make the best decision for you!
I've reached the age where friends and family about my age are having kids, too. Sometimes it seems like everyone is expecting! I get so excited when they make their announcements and hit milestones in their pregnancies, but when that due date nears, it seems like all the critics come out of the woodwork, and everyone knows what's "best." No one seems to take into account what the mother wants out of her birth experience, or what she needs to hear, and that goes for their doctors as well as their friends. I see so many women with regrets about their deliveries, whether from unnecessary interventions that they agreed to at the time because their doctor pushed it, being induced and it failing or the baby ending up being born too early or some other complication, ending up with an unwanted c-section, accepting pain medication and wishing they hadn't, or simply not being able to have the birth they want because no hospital or birthing center in their area offers it or their insurance won't cover it. What's even worse is when their friends judge them for their choices simply because they're different choices than they themselves made/would have made. The last thing an anxious, pregnant mama needs is judgement from the very people who should be cheering her on and supporting her decisions, regardless of whether or not they agree with them.
That being said, I do think a lot of hasty decisions are being made by expectant mothers (especially first-timers) who aren't given all the facts by their OB's and/or midwives. Lack of education is ridiculously common, particularly among OB patients, because we're still breaking out of the age of "do whatever your doctor says, even if you have reservations" and into the age of "educate yourself and make your own choices based on what you want and what you think is best, and get a second opinion or find a new doctor if you don't agree with their philosophy." Doctors far too commonly use scare tactics to get women to do what they want, whether it's an induction, a planned c-section, an episiotomy or use of forceps or vacuum, birthing positions, labor augmentation, and so on and so forth. What these doctors seem to forget is that not all women are alike, no two pregnancies are alike, no two babies are alike, and all should have care individually tailored to them instead of being shoved into the same general mode and method of treatment as all other women/pregnancies/babies. Just because something is the way it has "always been done" does not mean it is necessarily the right way.
Something else that the medical community seems to ignore is that childbirth is a deeply personal experience, and it can very easily become traumatic if ill-handled. Labor and delivery aren't like having surgery or some other medical procedure. It's an emotional experience, one that the mother will remember for her entire life, and it's unfair to put her through something traumatic and against her wishes (if it's unnecessary) for the sake of a doctor or hospital's convenience. It's unfair to push her around and not offer her every single option that's out there so that she can choose the birth she wants. It's unfair to tell her it's selfish to want some measure of control over her pregnancy and labor. And it's unfair to tell her she can't have the birth she wants, unless there's a good medical reason behind it. We have to live with our birth experiences forever, and we should have the right to do everything in our power to make sure we remember them with pride and love, and not regret and pain.
It is for these reasons that I want to become a doula. I'll admit, when I first heard about doulas, I thought, "Oh, they must be the hippie-dippie types who only deal with natural, unmedicated home births and think anyone who uses a doctor or goes to a hospital or does anything remotely 'medical' in their pregnancies is bad and wrong." So I did some research, and watched a friend go through the process of becoming a doula, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that that wasn't the case at all! The DONA International website defines a doula thusly:
What is a doula? 
The
word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves"
and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who
provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the
mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional
and practical support during the postpartum period.Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.
A Birth Doula
- Recognizes birth as a key experience the mother will remember all her life
- Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor
- Assists the woman in preparing for and carrying out her plans for birth
- Stays with the woman throughout the labor
- Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as helping the woman get the information she needs to make informed decisions
- Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her clinical care providers
- Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the woman's memory of the birth experience
- Allows the woman's partner to participate at his/her comfort level
As a doula, I want to make sure that all my clients know all the risks and benefits of any procedure or type of birth they are considering so that they can choose what works best for them, and then support them in their choices and help them to achieve their goals realistically.
I, of course, have my own birth philosophy, but that will not stand in the way of my supporting women with different philosophies and desires about their personal birth experiences. I intend to outline my philosophy in a later post, just to get it out there, but I beg everyone to remember that it's just my personal opinion and will have no effect on my impartiality as a doula. I simply think that it's fair to let potential clients know where I stand, so that if they vastly disagree with me and feel they cannot work with me due to my personal feelings, regardless of whether the issue ever comes up, they will know it all up front and be able to make their decision whether or not to invite me into their delivery room. It's important for expectant mothers to have someone they feel comfortable with in the delivery room, and whose philosophy is in harmony with theirs, so they know that their doula is on their side, without reservation, and hasn't tried to convince them to do things her way. Doulas exist to combat that pushiness. All I intend to push is self-education and making informed choices!
So there you have it! That is who I am, where I am coming from, why I want to be a doula, and what I intend to do as a doula! I hope that, if you're not sure if a doula is right for you, that this gave you some good information so that you can make the best decision for you!
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