Before the birth of my daughter, I really waffled back and forth about getting a doula. I had a specific doula in mind: Asra with Labor with Love. I love working with her professionally but I just wasn't sure if it'd be weird to bring her into my personal sphere (I mean, she was definitely going to see me naked and exposed). And, to be honest, I wasn't sure if I really needed a doula. I am an OBGYN with a supportive husband, and we took a natural childbirth class - so we should be okay on our own, right?
Ultimately, we hired Asra as our doula after chatting back and forth on Instagram. Now, having gone through labor, I can wholeheartedly say that having a doula truly made my birth experience. First of all, several weeks before I was induced, Asra came to our home with tons of resources and was able to show my husband how he could be emotionally and physically involved. It was very personalized - not only for us a couple but also for me as an individual and how I deal with pain and fear.
But the real shining moment for my doula was the main event - Margot's birth! I was induced and typically not much happens overnight, but that wasn't the case for me. After my 2nd dose of cytotec, my contractions went from nothing to a whole lot of something in the span of an hour. Holy cannoli! I was in tears, contracting every minute, and my water broke...but I was only 3cm. My birth plan was to make it to at least 6cm without an epidural, so I was frustrated with myself that I was about to "give in" so early. We tried the TENS unit we brought and I even asked for some Nubain (IV narcotics), but those didn't help. The pain was so intense, and with contractions almost every minute, I felt like I could never catch my breath. I was panicking, writhing about like an injured wildebeest, and crying about not wanting to be a wimp and getting my epidural too soon.
I told my husband to call Asra and tell her to get to the hospital ASAP. And bless her, she did! Once she arrived, the mood in the room was just calmer. She was able to massage my hips and soothe me. Asra worked by my side and she was able to distract me with her pain management techniques (hydrotherapy, breath work, position changes, essential oils, the comb trick, etc.). And voila! By 3am I was 6-7cm, sans epidural. I hit my goal and was so proud of myself, but I would not have been able to make it that far without her calming presence and coaching me through contractions.
When it was finally time to push, she was by my side encouraging me to keep going! I fortunately did not have to push long but for those that do, I can only imagine how necessary a doula would be at these moments to inspire you and circumvent negative self-talk.
So, YES, without a doubt, hiring a doula was absolutely worth it.
For more information on my doula Asra, please check out her Instagram @laborwithlove.dfw and her website https://www.laborwithlovedfw.com/
Asra and I love working together professionally, so if you choose her as your doula, let me know if I can be a part of your journey as your OBGYN!