Doula

Ed and I hired a Doula - my mom. She has a lot of work to do to live up to the demands of her job.

Numerous clinical studies have found that a doula’s presence at birth
tends to result in shorter labors with fewer complications
reduces negative feelings about one’s childbirth experience
reduces the need for pitocin (a labor-inducing drug), forceps or vacuum extraction and cesareans reduces the mother’s request for pain medication and/or epidurals

I am really hoping that her presence in the delivery room will reduce my chances of giving in to the pressures of "necessary" medical interventions during our ideal natural birth.

After seeing the Business of Being Born - I know that our decision to dump our current OB and try for a midwife to attend our hospital birth is going to be the right decision. I also know that having our Doula present during the labor will help to guide us to have the best birth we can have.