First off ... I see a lot of moms posting reviews in here.
So, here's the other side of things: I'm the dad.
Dad wasn't into the whole Dooluh thing.
Dad thought "If i cant pronounce it, and nobody I know knew what the hell it was either, then it wasn't going to be for me & I didn't want to pay for it."
Then, this happened (Here is my story, quickly).
*First, THE MEETUP*
The idea of using a doula was suggested by my wife. I resisted. Then I quickly folded like a lawn chair and agreed to the meet up (you dont mess with a pregnant momma).
Pretty sure I arrived home that night a little late for our meet up, prob by design. Expecting a hippy garbed, sash wrapped, patchouli dipped type, I was pleasantly surprised when i was welcomed instead by Kiersten. She was a very professional, very soft spoken, kind soul with a light voice which instantly put me at ease. She arrived with her partner in crime, Sarah who was also just as sweet, kind and soft spoken.
Both personable, intelligent, well spoken with a quickly accessible sense of humor = The presented VERY well and crushed the interview. They were hired.
Fast forward to *THE BIG DAY*
As the dad I had prepared myself as best as possible mentally, physically, emotionally. I was ready, I had this. That's when reality hit me like a freight train. Guys, you can't imagine how difficult it is to see you wife go through that process until it happens. NOTHING can prepare you. I went from the Rock of Gibraltar to a piece of work within hours. Had it not been for Kiersten & Sarah being there for me, for my wife, coaching us through the long process, helping in any way the situation called for, I could not have imagined getting through it. And, its an important point to say that its not just about having help. Like, our family was there. And they were great help! But, what Kiersten & Sarah offered was a very specialized kind of help. The type that just knows what to say, what to do, when to leave you be and when to go all hands on deck - as well as - help direct the right people into your space when its hard for the parents to focus on that stuff.
From educating us on what to expect, to being there for us in order to see the whole thing through, a doula became so much more than what I thought I was signing up for. They really become part of the family and an indelible asset to our birthing experience.
*IN SUMMARY*
Guys, if you are like me, and you're reading this right now, then you probably have a healthy amount of resistance to the idea and you're looking for something more to base an educated decision around. Because I remember thinking, .."the last thing I want to do is spend more money at a time when money is already flying out all over the place like crazy!" But of all the things when i look back that I was slightly concerned about overpaying for, investing in Kiersten & Sarah was the best decision I made! They are true pros, and in my humble opinion, they were non-negotiable to have in our corner and on our team for our 1st birthing experience. read more