Wednesday morning I received a call from a mom who was two four days later or two days earlier from her due date depending on which due date you accepted from her two her doctor vs her ultrasound had given her. I went to her at 10am in the morning on Wednesday. I returned home on Thursday at 6:30am and crawled in bed. An hour later a mom who was a week early with her second called me to alert me something was up with her. She said she would call me after her 9:00am doctor appointment. The next call came at 9:30am that she was being told to head to the hospital. I got up after 3 hours of sleep and showered and headed back out. Thank goodness her labor was a brief one. She gave birth within two hours of arrival to the hospital- I got there only minutes after she did. And I was back in bed by 3pm. I happen to be on call for another mom whose due date is today. I am well rested now and ready to be with her whenever she calls.
When we take a client we take a client for the month- not based on due dates but on which month she is due. This is because we go on call at 38 weeks and remain on call until she gives birth- which is usually by 42 weeks. The clients who usually need a back up doula are those who overlap by coming early or going late- but it happens. Before the Ladies of the Labyrinth began, when a back up was needed, it was whoever happened to be available- without clients, in town, not recently birth "hung over" and was as close to the level of experience as the doula who was tied up at a birth as I could manage to contact within our group. And I would hope that the couple had attended the teas previously and had met all of the doulas so that when that doula arrived, they would have at least met her. That is the way it still works for the individual doulas who work within our group. And most doulas who work in our community have a back up doula for if they are sick, or some other situation arises in their lives and causes them to not be at a birth they had planned and hoped to attend. It happens. Even when a doula takes one client a month- which is still being on call for a whole month- there are things that happen that cause them to miss a birth.
Now, with the Ladies of the Labyrinth in place it is different. Yesterday when I was headed out, chugging down one of those 5hour energy boosters and a cup of coffee, I found myself praying for a fast and gentle birth for this second time mom- her first baby was by cesarean in another state. I also thought how different this would be in October. How I could have been able to opt to call the secondary doula on call to go to this mom. How it would be a doula she had not only met, but also one with whom she would have a relationship. Someone she would have established that relationship with over the previous months in phone calls and emails. Someone she and her partner would have not only met at the tea but someone they would have had a prenatal meeting with and had shared their birth dreams with. And it made me smile knowing that that doula would be involved with them and be "fresh" and ready to go without the need for an energy boost and a prayer for a fast birth!
Now yesterday worked out great for all involved. But had it been a long birth, I would have probably had to call a back up in as I am not sure having only gotten three hours of sleep since waking up at 8am on Wednesday morning would not have allowed me to be able to fully support this couple in a long labor. But the beauty of the team approach is not only that as a doula I will have an eleven day stretch of not being on call each month- a luxury I have not had in the 16 years of being an active doula, but it also means as a client, you are able to also have a fresh doula who knows you and knows your needs, available! I do not think my two moms who birthed yesterday have any complaints. But I am so glad as I awoke this morning at 4am- weird sleep schedules always throw you off the norm- that my current mom who is due will have a fresh Teresa today as well!
I know there are some unknowns when you are pregnant- and go into labor. And I know with a physician or midwifery practice that is also true for you. Even when someone chooses a solo doctor it happens- solo practitioners get sick and have family emergencies. And even if you choose one of the many solo doulas in our group- it happens. The more experienced a doula becomes the more times she will need a back up. It is also funny how often someone wants a doula who only takes one client in hopes that this won't happen. And yet it still does. And even in choosing a doula who is not busy, they also tell me they want one with a lot of experience... how does that happen? If they only take one client every six months- that means they will do less than 9 births a year! So, I hope you will read over the informational packet and find that indeed to get the most experienced doulas in our group, it means the team of three- the Ladies of the Labyrinth. But to get the "I want to be able to have the one consistent thing of knowing which doula will be there," by choosing one of the solo doulas in our group or even elsewhere, it means the unknown could happen... and trust me as the owner of Labor of Love, it does.
I think one of the most important things in deciding on a doula is how that doula makes you feel. If you are comfortable with the doula, she will be able to help you in your labor. And if you are comfortable with all members of the team of doulas, that will also hold true. I can not tell you how often someone comes to the tea and tells me that they loved all of the doulas and are having a hard time deciding on who to pick. That is music to my ears as I believe I have a great team of doulas! But consistency, although important to many- it is not ever a guarantee when choosing a doula within my company or elsewhere. We try- and I will say in our group it is probably less than 3% of the time someone different than you selected attends your birth if you choose a solo doula. But I use even the term "solo" in regards to her being not on the team- but we are never solo in our group as we have a consistent sisterhood of back up among us. Please come to the tea and meet us soon. There are advantages to both our team approach or the solo doula approach. I am sure you will make the right decision for you regarding the selection of a doula.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment