On October 3, our family was blessed with the birth of our third child. It being my third pregnancy and delivery, I felt in some ways like an old pro. On the other hand, just like every child, every pregnancy and delivery is unique and this was no exception.
I decided this time around, I wanted an entirely natural birth and eventually decided that hiring a doula was the best way I could accomplish that goal. Both decisions were the best decisions I could have made for myself.
With my first two deliveries, I was given poticin, a synthetic form of oxytocin, which is used to stimulate contractions. In both cases, this was followed by my request for an epidural. Both deliveries resulted in healthy births, and I can’t say I felt the experiences were negative other than I hate being poked and prodded and pushing was very difficult. On the other hand, I found recovery to take awhile, especially my second delivery (My right leg was slightly numb for an entire month) and pushing took a long time.
I don’t know why I decided to go natural this time. With two kids in school, a fast recovery was important to me. In my research, I read that hiring a doula can reduce the chances of a c-section by 50%.
After interviewing a number of doulas, I decided to hire a lady named Stephanie. I liked her easy going nature. I could tell she was committed to helping women labor naturally, but didn’t seem like an ideologue. As much as I wanted to a natural birth, I know that sometimes medical intervention is necessary, and I didn’t want to feel like a failure or guilty later.
Stephanie was great. She was encouraging. She gave great advice to me and my husband. She wasn’t overbearing or pushy, but when she spoke her tone was firm enough, that I felt I could trust her. Near the end, when things became very difficult for me, I relied on her coaching and my husband’s support to get me through it.
Now that the experience is over, I can say that I am an avid supporter of natural births and doulas. Everyone has different experiences, but for me, going natural meant a faster delivery and recovery.
