Dr. and
What is a Doula?
A
doula is defined as a person who accompanies a woman in labor, mothers the
mother, taking care of her emotional needs throughout childbirth. A doula also
provides support and suggestions for partners that can enhance their
experiences of birth. A postpartum doula continues that valuable emotional
support and guidance, helping a family make a smooth transition into new family
dynamics.
Although this is a comprehensive definition of a doula,
to my husband and me, our doula Cindy was much more. She was a best friend, a confidant, a coach,
and an expert, in short she was a lifesaver.
When I found out I was pregnant with my first child my
first emotion was one of pure delight.
This was something I had been looking forward to my whole entire
life. This excitement lasted through the
announcement to the parents, grandparents, siblings and anyone else who would
listen. It also lasted through the
first stages of pregnancy through the nausea and the first signs of showing a
belly. About six months into my
pregnancy this excitement turned to concern.
What would labor and delivery be like?
What should I expect? Should I have a plan? If so, what should it be?
These queries led me to the internet, of course, where I
began to attempt to research the answer.
There I found “doulas.” I asked a friend if she had ever heard of
someone who had used one and she had a friend who raved about her doula. This was Cindy Whittaker. I researched her on the internet and found a
wonderful article about another women’s experience with Cindy’s help throughout
her pregnancy. I got Cindy’s number and
phoned her that day.
Due to our hectic schedules as an attorney and a
chiropractor, Cindy came to our home, at least 30 minutes away from hers, to
explain the process and answer our questions.
She stayed for hours and answered every question my husband and I
had. She truly put our minds at
ease.
Needless to say my pregnancy in the last two months was
frustrating. I experienced many Braxton
Hicks contracts for which I called Cindy and she explained everything that was
happening and coached me through it.
From there I had two instances, at 4:00 in the morning of course, where
my husband and I thought I was in labor but I was not. We called Cindy, and again she asked us
questions and coached us through it always ready to head to the hospital with
us. When the day finally came, 9 days beyond
my due date and at 10:00 at night, Cindy was there ready to meet us at the
hospital.
There the adventure began. Cindy coached not only me but also my husband
through the first stage of labor. As the
pain became stronger and I felt my will power weakening, she stood by me
encouraging me the whole way. It seemed that whatever I needed she
instinctively knew and did it. She
walked the halls with me, more than once that night, laughing with me and
encouraging me the entire way. The end
result of all of our hours and hard work was a beautiful baby girl. This
amazing experience was as memorable as it was because of Cindy. I will use her “support” for my next
pregnancy and if there is one, the next after that.
My husband and I will personally vouch for her
services. Please feel free to call us
for a reference.
~
(phone number available upon
request)