Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Found a new doula!
And I really do think what some friends have said is true -- this was a blessing in disguise. After receiving the email, I was pretty upset, feeling like the tides were already starting to turn against me. Then my sister called me to lament that my dad had apparently infected us all with some kind of sickness at Christmas-time, and to "yell" at me for not having an answering machine (ours broke and we haven't replaced it yet). We talked briefly, then I told her about my doula, almost in closing, and she hopped online and found me two additional names besides the one given to me by the lady I'd had lined up.
So, I contacted two doulas, and my sister continued her search on the second lady, and found out she was a doula-in-training who was also a VBAC-mom. I have heard back from one of the doulas I contacted, the one lead my previous doula had, and she had a pretty tight schedule it seemed, and wouldn't be able to meet me until next week, after my 39 week appointment. Not ideal, but the best I had, so I told her that I'd like to meet then.
Then, I get an email from the woman my sister was tracking down, T. My sister emailed her, got her to call my sister back, and talked to her at length, explaining the situation, etc. My sister then called me, and started telling me all the ways T. and I were similar (in parenting style) -- to which I said, "We aren't fringe -- there are a lot of people who parent like I do!!!" So, then I got T.'s email, where she essentially said that she'd love to help however she can, but she's in training, this would be the first birth she'd attended (besides her own two), and because of that, she wouldn't charge. We finally talked on the phone, and she came over today to talk.
Jeff and I met with her, and feel like we would feel comfortable with her, and that it would work pretty well -- she is VERY available (we're even meeting again this Friday, to just review things, and make sure there aren't additional questions), very understanding of the fight inherent in VBAC (especially here in Florida -- her VBAC was actually in the same city!!), and willing to work with us and be there. She was really surprised, I think, by just how much I knew and had already mentally prepared, but I emphasized to her that this intellectual facade will probably (most likely) crumble under the emotions of labor (isn't that true -- rational thought kinda leaves you?), and I would need Jeff and her there because of that probability.
So, I feel 95% certain we have our doula, and figure the meeting on Friday will either get me up to 100% or drop me way down -- so, I'm not canceling the meeting with the other doula until then -- she's out of town anyways.
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