Is It Possible to Have a Doula Just for Child Birth?

Definitely not too late! If you have any interest at all, I think you should pursue it. Doulas help you know what your body is made to do and give you the space to do it with confidence. Full Circle Midwifery in Davis, Woodland, and Sacramento might be a place to get a referral.

It's not too late to have a doula for labor/delivery and also meet with her before that. You have time. Most doulas do 2-3 meetings before the due date, and I think most do them in the 7th or 8th month, so you are fine on timing. Susan Cortez was my doula -- because of her knowledge and calm presence, I was able to labor at home w/ a fire for almost the entire labor, only spend 3 hrs in the hospital before my son was born, and have a great natural birth. Her website is: http://www.birthwonders.com/

It's not too late. I had a Doula with both of my daughters & she was fabulous! Her website info is: www.sacramentodoula.com
She'll want to meet with you a few times before you are due, get aquainted, find out what "natural childbirth" means to you. Then when you go into labor - just give her a call & she'll follow you to the hospital, or meet you at your house to help you before you go.

Good luck with everything!

Some hospitals keep a list of doulas they like to work with and will call them on short notice. However this very rare as the hospital/doula relationship is somewhat strained. Your best bet would be to call around until you find a doula willing to accomodate your wishes. Good Luck. :)

The word "doula" has come to mean someone who provides practical support to women around the time of childbirth. A birth doula is exactly what you're looking for. They typically have a couple of prenatal meetings in the last month of pregnancy and then are with you for the labor and delivery; they also often have a postpartum meeting to discuss the birth. A postpartum doula typically helps new moms after the birth, helping with comfort issues and breastfeeding, and also often helping with basic household tasks to help keep the household working during those first difficult days. (And it's common to confuse doulas and midwives. The difference is that you can become a doula in a weekend, but it takes the equivalent of a three-year program to become a midwife.)
I collect information about local "Meet the Doula" nights at:
http://www.gentlebirth.org/local/resources.html#MTDN
Good luck!

Hi K. I am doula myself and also 27 weeks pregnant. I can say that it is never too late to call on a doula. I wish I was taking clients now but im resting until the baby is here. Let me know if you want any referals of doulas. I know alot, and some that are volunteering. They have alot to offer. Yeah I really reccoment having one. Its very helpful too keep things in at a flow and keep everyone comfortable. LEt me know if you have any questions. Thanks and have a great birth! be well T.

A doula works with you and your doctor to achieve the best possible outcome for you given your situation. I highly recommend one; I used one for the birth of my 11 month old son and I truly believe I would not have had as great of success as I did without her. However, I believe what you are asking for is a midwife. Midwives can deliver babies without doctors. If you want a midwife but still want to deliver in a hospital try UCD. They have a great midwivery program that promotes natural childbirth (remember natural is whatever you make it). So, you can deliver without drugs, start labor without drugs, chose a waterbath, etc. Oh, and one more thing. A doula (if she is worth her salt) will not "ensure" a natural childbirth. The reasoning is because some women just cannot have a purely natural drugfree birth. For example, I labored for 46 hours (32 were without drugs) but I was tired, had not slept for 3 1/2 days, and was exhausted. My doula helped be cope and know that it was ok to get the drugs in my situation. Doulas are to help you through your labor and get the best possible labor and the safest delivery for you and your baby. You may use a doula with a midwife which may be the best combination for you. Good luck and I hope you have a quick and easy delivery!

I wouldn't think it is too late. But I would talk to your doula, she would be the one to decide.

K.,

It is not too late. You can absolutely work with a Doula (I used doulas for the births of both my children and LOVED the experience). I think most people use them primarily for the birth itself, although sometimes doulas offer post-partum services as well. There are lots of doulas in the US (are you in the Bay Area, not sure from your post). I'll give you the website of Rachel Yellin - the wonderful San Francisco doula I used. Check her out at http://www.one-moon.com/. I'm sure she could recommend other ways to contact doulas. I know there is a national organization with a website, but I can't put my finger on their address at the moment.

Good luck with your journey!

- C.

You can absolutely have a doula for just the birth which is exactly what we did. An excellent resource in the Bay area is dolphinyoga.com since they partner with doula's and a co-owner is a doula herself. I know them well and would highly recommend them.

Yes. I had a doula just for labor and delivery. You can check out several through BABI (Bay Area Birth Information). I think they have a website: www.babi.org, or something like that. Best of luck to you!

I had a doulah and it is not too late at all. I highly reccomend it. I used Diedre Lorenzo and she is FABULOUS! Tell her S. Nolan sent you, she really made my 24 hour labor something I could get through, and my husband loved her too, and he was very skeptical.
Here is her info. Good luck.
http://www.bundleofjoydoulacare.com/

Hi,
Congratulations! I believe you can. I had a doula for my second labor/delivery at the hospital. Although part of the services of what I paid for could've included all the prenatal visits, I decided not to do that with her since I was already doing all of that with my ob/gyn. You'll want to interview a few right away though. They might not even charge you full price since you're almost there. But you'll definitely want to go over your expectations, and they'll probably want to go over all kinds of stuff to help you (exercises, breathing techniques, etc.)

My doula was Veronica Wagner. She has tons of experience, but is a little pricier. She'll probably also try to convince you to have a homebirth (which is great if that's what you want!) Her number ###-###-#### office, ###-###-#### cell.

I also know of another doula Michelle Germaine ____@____.com who was actually my Bradley class teacher. I never ended up interviewing her for this, but I heard from another who used her that she was very good, very low-pressure, and pretty reasonably price (less than half of the other gal).

Anyway, I'd be happy to tell you more of my personal experience of having a doula if you're interested. If this is your first birth, I'd recommend it. For me personally, I'm due in May (does that make me 7 months too?!!) and will not be having anyone else this time. But this is my third. Hope I have no regrets!
Take care, F.

Hi K.,

I used a Doula just for labor and delivery. She came once after I was home to check in on me. It was 8 years ago when I had my second child. I wish I had her for my first delivery too! She goes beyond a coach, a total advocate in the delivery room. She encouraged me to get into the bath to help relieve labor pains and was incredible at applying pressure on my back with a tennis ball. She also lit a fire under the nurse to get me in the que for the Anesthesiologist for the epideral.

I was sent to the hospital to induce labor, I called when I was leaving and as soon as I had my first contraction she was there ready to jump in. My husband appreciated her as well. She was great at including him at all times. I got her from Good Sam in Los Gatos. I belive she was an instructor from one of the birthing classes.
Good Luck and Congratulations!!!

Yes! It is not too late at all. For East Bay contact Birthways (I think it is Birthways.com) They will find you someone who is available during your delivery month. Doulas are great!!

I did not think that I would be strong enough to do a natural (drug-free) childbirth, even with my Doula. But, surprisingly I did! The birth of my son was such a wonderful experience, and I think a lot of it had to do with the support I had from my Doula. I highly recommend it and I don't think that it is too late!!!

Yes, there are two kinds of doulas: birth and postpartum. I hired my doulas last week, in my 37th week of pregnancy, so it's definitely not too late. There is a fabulous resource for finding local doulas; http://www.sfdoulagroup.com-- this gives you info about doulas, their contact info, and often a link to the individual doulas' websites. They mostly know each other and will back each other up. The hardest thing was choosing from among the ones we interviewed; they were all so sweet and nice!

If you have taken any natural childbirth classes you might find having a doula a waste. My husband and I took Bradley classes and hired a doula and the doula sat on the couch and did not help at all... because we already knew what to do. I would recommend taking classes if you have time and using the money for help after the baby comes - that is when the real shock sets in :) Best of luck to you!

It's definitely not too late! My hubby and I relocated across country in my 30th week of pregnancy, and we had to do some serious hustling to put our (home) birth team together -- but we did, and it was worth the hustle! :)

Go for it, and congrats to you on committing to a natural childbirth -- I had my daughter naturally, at home, 18 weeks ago and it was the most incredible, empowering, exhilarating, exhausting experience of my life. I *HIGHLY* recommend it.

All best to you!

Of course you can still have a doula! I'm not sure where you live but I know several hospitals in SF that offer the services of doulas who work/volunteer with the hospital. I believe the following hospitals offer doula services: UCSF, ST. Lukes, Kaiser, and SF General. Also if you would like to hire a doula contact, in SF/Oakland/Marin (I think) Pachamama Doula Services (of the Natural Birth Institute), Natural Resources for a a list of doulas in SF, and in Oakland try Birth Ways. I am a doula (also 7 months pregnant) and I didn't work with my first client until she was a month away from her due date. For a list of things to ask when interviewing for a doula check out the DONA (Doulas of North America) website, or check out the book Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. Good luck and happy natural birthing!

Not too late. Natural Resources in SF also has a "meet the doulas" event.

YES! You can definitely have a doula just for birth.
Check out Natural Resources on Valencia in San Francisco.
They have a whole referral system.
Good luck, a doula made all the difference in my first birth!

I had a doula with my second child. I met her a couple weeks before I delivered and she was there for the birth. I had a really good experience.

Call Janice Cramer... Shes amazing. ###-###-#### Shes very educated and
is a doula. She worked with a mid wife for years.

You can have a doula to help you with the birth. It is wise to meet with her a few times before birth to develop rapport & so she can get to know your likes/dislikes. Also, there are Bradley, Lamaze, Hypobirthing, etc. classes out there to prepare you. You can also buy lots of books re: natural childbirth. The key is to start now, as natural childbirth takes preparation in relaxation and learning your rights (Pros/cons of interventions & how to advocate for yourself- a doula can absolutely assist with these, but it is important to also educate yourself so that you will understand what is happening and the interventions considered- ultimately you will make the decisions!)

R. (Bradley Childbirth Educator & Social Worker)

Yes. I've used a doula with both of my pregnancies (the last being twins this past December). You might try Blossom Birth Center in Palo Alto. They have a monthly event called, Meet the Doulas." You can attend this for free. Although, doulas tend to book pretty far in advance, but I'm pretty sure you can still find a good one that you connect with.

Having a doula at the birth really relieved my husband of the pressure of not knowing what to do. It was pretty scary for him. With the doula there, he felt confident to participate up to his comfort level. With her there, he was comfortable enough to cut the umbilical cord. For me, it was reassuring to have someone around who had tons of birth experience. I ended up having a totally natural birth, no drugs with my first daughter. With my twins, I had preeclampsia which brought other complications, but I was able to have both twins vaginally which was a great relief to me. I so did NOT want a c-section.
Good luck.

I had Melissa Dean for my labor & delivery of both of my boys. We collaborated on a birth plan document and she attended an OB visit with me to discuss it with my Dr. A copy of it was put into my chart so everyone in the L&D ward could read it(we also took copies with us to hand out if necessary). She was invaluable in both births and my husband and I recommend her highly. We delivered at Kaiser Santa Clara and it was the first time they'd had a doula present(2004). She has since been recommended throughout the OB office staff and attended multiple births there. Melissa can be reached at ###-###-#### or ____@____.com and her website is http://www.alittlemiracle.com. With my 2nd baby we utilized her postpartum doula services as well... crucial when you've got an enerjetic & jealous toddler running around. She's the MaMa of four and a Godsend!

Stef :)

K.,

Have you checked out the Women's Birthing Center on Summerfield Rd? They have a few Doula's and can give you their names to interview and pick one that suits you.

Doulas (unless they are post-partum doulas) typically only work with you for labor and delivery, though, they will start communicating with you from 35-37 weeks to plan it out. You should be in touch with Journey Revington (____@____.com) or Diedre Lorenzo (____@____.com)
http://dancingbirth.org

If they are busy, I am sure they can point you the right direction. It is never too late to plan the birth you want! Best of luck to you ~

PS- They will add lot's of value after the birth, too! Diedre showed me a fabulous way to bathe my newborn daughter and eight months later, bath time is her favorite time of the day and I credit Diedre because she showed me how to calmly and effectively bathe her and the association with relaxation and fun has stuck! Have your doula spend a few hours with you at home after your little star is born, too. It is worth it!

Hi K.,
Yes it is, and I have a name and number for you -
Lorrie Papangellin ###-###-####
She lives in San Carlos and is certified, qualified and knows the ropes. Give her a call.
A.
ps. she is also my sister-in-law

also check out benefits of water birthing. its profound
there's a must see video 'birth as we know it'

Yes. You mostly need the doula for the childbirth. Are you having a home birth?

We worked with Joan Taylor for an unmedicated hospital birth in Oakland, and she was wonderful. We met with her several times before the birth and once after to talk about the experience, and a few months ago had her over for our son's first birthday party! I absolutely recommend using a doula if you can. I know Birthways in Berkeley has a doula info night but others have pointed to resources around the bay; not sure where you are. Best wishes to you!