Doula or no doula?

To be honest. If I had found a good team of midwife + OB from the start I would have saved on the doula. The midwife were so helpful and supportive. I found it helpful to have someone on call whenever I had any question since we both were 1st time parents. With hired our doula when I was 5 months pregnant and hated my then OBGYN. Our doula suggested that we switch to a birth center and that made things much better. I would suggest getting informed as much as you can, take classes regarding anything to the baby. Hiring a doula would be helpful and I would recommend for a 1st time parents if they are able to afford it and feel that they aren't getting the most out of their OBGYN practice.

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That’s super insightful! Thank you 🙏🏼 I do really like the main midwife we’ve been seeing but I know she could potentially be unavailable and I might have to be with another midwife so idk 🤷🏻‍♀️ Might start looking around and getting pricing just in case

I didn’t have a doula for hire but we joke that my husband was my doula. If your husband is on the same page as you for what you’re going to do for the birth and he isn’t someone who backs away from an intense situation I think you guys would be fine without one.

I feel supported by my midwife team, so am using my (untrained) friend as a doula. Just so my partner doesn’t have to do everything. I was an (untrained) doula to another friend for her 2 births and she was really glad to have me there.

Just to share another perspective, my doula was a critical part of both my births. She supported my husband just as much as she supported me, which allowed him to be fully focused on me. This was at a birth center with a team of midwives. Doulas also can be an advocate for you, and explain things in a different way once you’re in the middle of labor. I think we are probably done after two babies, but if I have another I will absolutely hire a doula again.