Birth is a Guessing Game

Birth is a guessing game. When will I go into labor? How long will labor last? Will be baby be born vaginally? Can I do it with minimal interventions? Will I tear? What if I have to make a decision about a cesarean? Will I have childcare for my other children? What if someone shows up that I didn’t invite?  What will recovery be like? Can I breastfeed successfully?

What can you do when you know you lack the ability and skills to deal with a new situation?

What would it be worth to have a crystal ball or a magic wand with answers?  Since that option is impossible, what do you do when your skills and YouTube videos seem to be ineffective?

Do you take charge yourself and try and figure it out or do you hire an expert and save you time and energy? Would you write your own will and power of attorney if you were not a lawyer?  Or craft your own eyeglasses? Even perform your own open-heart surgery? No, all of us would use our networks of friends and families to seek out an answer.

What you are looking for is your own personal guide in this land of the unknown. Someone to be with you, know you, know your deepest fears and desires, and someone who can walk with you? For many people, this ‘someone’ has a perfect answer to those questions.  That someone is a birth doula.

Doulas know and acknowledge the risk. They respect it.  They learn and understand your beliefs around risk as well.  They organize and anticipate it. Then they work with you to work around those sources of risk with the goal of avoiding or reducing the risk if it cannot be avoided.

Doulas do not judge their clients but rather work with them toward their goals.

Learn about the Birth You Desire doulas here.