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. :)
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!!
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!
also check out benefits of water birthing. its profound
there's a must see video 'birth as we know it'
Kelly,
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.
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!
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.
Hi Kelly,
Yes it is, and I have a name and number for you -
Lorrie Papangellin 650.595.3008
She lives in San Carlos and is certified, qualified and knows the ropes. Give her a call.
Angie
ps. she is also my sister-in-law
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!
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.
Hi Kelly 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 Theresa
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!
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/
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!)
Regina (Bradley Childbirth Educator & Social Worker)
Call Janice Cramer... Shes amazing. 805)704-9259 Shes very educated and
is a doula. She worked with a mid wife for years.
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.
roviding birth doula services in Oakland, Berkeley, Walnut Creek and the surrounding East Bay. My goals as a doula are to provide unconditional and non-judgmental guidance and support for your birth, to assist with informed consent for hospital birth and to hold space for couples to experience deeper intimacy through the labor and birth process.
My passion is helping people on their healing journey and providing pregnant families with as much positive inspiration, information and nurturing as possible throughout pregnancy, labor and the birth process.
Deanna Mulder-Sauter
www.deannasauter.com
510-421-6180
I am a Hypnotherapist, Childbirth Educator, Birth & Postpartum Doula, Massage Therapist, Reiki Practitioner and Natural Soapmaker. I currently sit on the Board of Directors for BirthWays in Berkeley. I am part of the (Re)Birthing Doula Collective offering exceptional Birth and Postpartum Doula Services on a sliding scale basis.
My education and training include:
Heart & Hands Midwifery Intensive, with Elizabeth Davis
Cornerstone Doula Training
McKinnon Massage Training
Hypnotherapy Certification, Hypnotherapy Center in Oakland
HypnoBirthing® Certification, HypnoBirthing® Institute
My professional affiliations include:
California Association of Midwives, member
Bay Area Birth Association, member
Midwives Alliance of North America, member
BirthWays Board Member
Thank you all for your thoughtful replies and referrals! My husband and I have started interviewing Doulas in our area and are excited about our decision to have someone look after the “technical” aspects of our baby’s delivery so we can enjoy the miracle of birth!