Hiring a doula...

As I have mentioned before, I am going to have to deliver Charlie up in Denver. That's about 3 1/2 hours by car. My doc down here is all for me living up with my mom and dad starting at 36 weeks. My doc up there thinks I should be fine at home until I go into labor. I am thinking about taking the middle ground, and moving up there at about 38 weeks (assuming no labor before then!)

Now, I will just put this bluntly...I do NOT want to go live with my parents...there is a reason I got married and moved out...we do not live well together. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents...it's just that they are so much easier to love when they are at least 3 1/2 hours away!

My mom, who is very thoughtful in a scary kind of way, made a comment when they recently visited. She said that since my hubby will be down here at work most likely when I go into labor, that she would be there for me at the hospital. She said she'd even take the day off work. Now, I know that this is going to sound ungrateful...but I really hope she doesn't! My mom is a very good teacher...but a very annoying nurse (she likes to hover). At the hospital, there will be professional nurses, who will have more important things to do than harass me constantly. I pretty much like to be left alone. I don't feel a great need to "bond" with everyone I meet. (My mom will strike up a conversation in the grocery store line with a complete stranger...Eva does it too...but I just am NOT that social!) That's probably one of the reasons I've never found a female doctor that I liked...because so many women like women doctors who can relate to them. I relate better to male doctors. Let me know if there is something I need to know, but otherwise, just do your thing and get out!

So, perhaps I am not the ideal candidate for hiring a doula. After all, they are supposed to help make the mom comfortable. I'm hoping that I can find a doula willing to do this with a minimum of conversation.

So, there is no doubt that after my experience with Eva, I am normal in terms of being terrified of labor. In many ways, it would be a lot easier if I knew my hubby would be present when I thought I was going into labor...it would at least avoid embarrassing trips to the hospital by myself (or worse, with my mom!) So, hopefully by having a doula to call, I'll be able to avoid those situations.

So, I just ordered a used book off of Amazon about Doulas (preggo brain has already made me forget the title!), and on Tuesday (the day of my 20 week ultrasound...more on that later!) I am going to meet with one doula who seemed the best via e-mail and her website (doesn't have tons of experience, but has had at least one VBAC and one plus sized client) to see if I want to hire her. I really want to want to hire her (if that makes any sense) because the whole "searching for a doula" thing is getting old really fast!

The good news about doulas in Colorado, though, is I was afraid they'd all be earth goddess hippies from the People's Republic of Boulder...but EVERY single one I contacted had a Christian (to some extent...there was one Mormon, which I would not technically consider Christian) background. Of course, the only Catholic said she had no religious philosophy and worked with all kinds of mothers (pagan, lesbian, etc.) but that she was a practicing Catholic...I didn't get a very good vibe from her anyway...but I really would prefer a protestant to a cafeteria Catholic...