Doula: My first experiences
Last week was one of the craziest weeks of my life! Why, may you ask? Two of my clients had their babies within just days of each other. That wasn’t supposed to happen! You see, my second client wasn’t supposed to have her baby until November, but due to some last minute complications the due date was moved up. Also, both deliveries happened while Micah was out of town, so I had to figure out who could watch my kids. Even though it was a busy week, I enjoyed it and got so much fulfillment from helping the moms and their families have a great experience!
One of the things I learned from my first doula experiences was how to separate business from personal. What I mean by this is that I had to get in the right frame of mind when I walked into the hospital to help my client. Being a doula means you’re on-call since the mother could go into labor at any moment. Because of this I couldn’t be worrying about my own kids and whether or not their sitter would be able to put them down for their nap, or if they would eat what the sitter gave them, or if they got sick… Even though I had prepared for the possibility of being on-call with Micah gone, it was still natural to worry, but the last thing I wanted was for the mother to sense something was wrong or to think that I didn’t want to be there.
Truth be told, everything was under control. I love and trust my sitters. My kids are good kids- even if they’re a bit dramatic at times! I knew I had prepared for something like this and I had to trust what I put in place. I know it made a big difference in the way I acted with my clients. I was able to be there entirely, physically, mentally, and emotionally. My mind wasn’t worrying or wandering. Neither of my clients needed that much physical support (comfort measures/positioning) but they did need emotional support. They weren’t having meltdowns or anything, but having someone there to help take their minds off of things, someone who knows what you want and that you can relate to, can help emotionally. I was able to be there for them when they most needed it, but had I been worrying about things in my own life I probably wouldn’t have been entirely present or enjoyed being there with he moms. I was have so much fun and I was worry free!
Even though I had to stay in the hospital for many hours, it never felt like it. It always seemed to fly by. Time flies when you’re having fun! I got along with my clients really well so I was able to relax. We played games, we talked about life, and even in the moments where I had to do my doula duties it was all enjoyable. I enjoyed interacting with the nurses and I learned so much by just listening and watching them. I never felt awkward or out of place. I really felt like I was supposed to be there and help the moms have peace of mind.
I write this not for you to say “You’re such a good doula!” or “I’m so sorry you were worried, I can help you next time.” I also hope I’m not scaring you potential moms away. Haha! I write this to tell you my experience. This is what really happens behind the scenes of being a doula. My situation was a bit different because Micah was gone which wasn’t part of the plan. But I rolled with it and it worked out! I had a GREAT experience with my first two clients! It was an honor and a privilege to be a part of this huge moment in these mom’s lives. I only hope I can do the same for more moms!