Done for Now

I went on my second birth as a doula last night. It didn't work out as well as I hoped. I got the call at 10:30 in the morning, but I couldn't leave work because three of the other managers were out. I was doula-sharing, so the other doula headed to the hospital without me, and I called my back-up. Unfortunately she was in an induction and couldn't attend my birth. By the time I got there around 5:30, the mom was almost ready to push. I felt bad about leaving the other doula hanging and not being able to fulfill my commitment to the mom. The experience helped to reinforce a decision I'd already made. Doula-ing just doesn't work in my life right now. Even though my employer is flexible about it, I can't always just up and leave. I'm also not dealing well with the possibility of having to be awakened at any moment in at least a three week window around a due date. I want less stress in my life right now, not more. So I won't be taking on any new clients. Maybe someday my life will be better suited to being a doula and I can take it up again. Because I like doing it. And I think I am good at it.

Doula-ing Update

As I mentioned in the previous post I am mid-way through my fourth book off the required reading list for doula certification. I have one more to read after this one.

Last night I attended a breastfeeding class to meet another requirement. It was pretty neat to be in a room full of beautifully pregnant women. I'm not sure how much I learned though, having already read the material in much more detail in Breastfeeding Made Simple. Next month I start a five week childbirth education series at one of the other hospitals in the area. I decided to split the classes up at different hospitals in hopes of meeting more folks in the field.

Tonight after work I will tag along with one of my doula mentors on her initial meeting with a potential new client. It will be good to see the whole process from the get-go. If the mom chooses to work with us, she should deliver in December.

At the beginning of this month I attended my first birth with another doula mentor. It was the most amazing experience imaginable. It absolutely confirmed that this is something I want to do. I hope that after a couple more mentoring births I will feel ready to go out on my own!

Pregnant in America

This morning I started my day with a big mug of tea and the documentary, Pregnant in America. I first learned about this film through a review in International Doula, the quarterly publication of DONA International. The film covers many current trends in maternity care in the United States, including epidurals and cesarean sections. It also gave a brief glimpse into the birth process in Holland and Germany. I was particularly impressed with the percentage of home births in Holland. I would recommend this film to anyone interested in learning more about pregnancy in the U.S. It is both interesting and accessible, requiring no prior knowledge on the subject.

Random Bullets of too Lazy to Write More

* Note to self: When going on a trip that will include hiking and canoeing, pack a hat and your Tevas! I had to borrow a hat to protect my head from the deerflies and wear my sneakers canoeing, which made getting in and out so much more complicated.

* I just used baking soda to clean my bathroom sink. It was my first experience using baking soda to clean something, and hello! I'm a convert! The sink hasn't looked this good in years.

* I have finished book #2 from the required reading list for doula certification. I have the next book, but I'm taking a break to read a mystery. My brain needs a rest from having to think. I also started the resource list the other day. I have to prepare a list of at least 45 resources in at least 30 different categories for my area. These include birth centers, lactation consultants, maternity clothes, and addiction services, among many others.

* I've done very well with not sleeping on the couch, better than even I expected. I'm still not getting enough sleep though. I really think my body needs nine hours each night, which is only really practical on the weekends. I would've gotten more than nine last night if a certain loud dog hadn't woken me with his bark.

* I'm still seeing the chiropractor 3 times a week, but I can't really tell if it's helping. I was hoping for dramatic improvement. I won't be able to keep going like this too much longer. It's just too expensive.

* I do love rain on a warm day, but I also need to mow the lawn. Maybe tomorrow? I guess today I will focus on the indoor portions of my to-do list (like the bathroom sink!). I've got laundry in the dryer, and next up grocery shopping!

Becoming a Doula

I have long been interested in midwifery and natural birth. I love reading birth stories of any kind and can't wait to be present at my first birth. The medical side of being a midwife never appealed to me, but as I learned more about the role a doula can play in birth it felt right for me.

These three books helped to lead me to my decision to start the certification process to become a doula:

A Midwife's Story by Penny Armstrong & Sheryl Feldman
Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent
Adventures in Natural Childbirth edited by Janet Schwegel

As well as this documentary:

The Business of Being Born

Yesterday I finished the first of my required readings:

The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin

In a couple weeks I'll be participating in a DONA approved training workshop for birth doulas. I'm going to try to read at least one more of the required reading before then. I'm very excited about this process. I feel like after the last few years of being in grad school and not having time for myself and my interests that now I can breathe again. Come alive. I knew that I hated being in grad school, but I hadn't been fully aware of how miserable I was and how I barely existed outside of it. It wasn't healthy and it wasn't living. Now it's time to do what I want.

Summer Plans

Now that school's out and the weather's nice I've got plans. Big plans.

I plan on walking at least four times a week, with a minimum of three of these walks with the dogs. We all need the fresh air and exercise.

I've been coming up with a list of places I'd like to visit in my general vicinity. So far they include an art museum (for a rainy day), a waterfall, and a mansion with lovely gardens.

I'd like to visit my mother who lives several states west of me.

And I'm planning on starting the certification process to become a doula. My long-range hopes are to serve as a doula during summer break when I'm a teacher. Hey, it never hurts to dream, right?