Glorified Babysitting

So my first doula responsibilities start today. I am just serving as a sub for another doula who has prior obligations, but that combined with my current job is really laying the stress on thick. I desperately need to quit my current FT job, but my boss (who I suspect is on to me) has very clearly been avoiding having a phone conversation with me for almost two weeks now. It is his own fault if I only have a few weeks notice to give.

Meanwhile, I go to a glorified babysitting event today, as a woman has hired the doula group to do her chores (laundry, dog walking, grocery shopping). At least my foot is in the door!

Doula Time

Hello! This is a note to explain a switch in the focus of my blog from this point forward. The birth of my daughter was a life changing event, and I determined that I could take it upon myself to help birth become a life changing event for other women as well, so I have become a trained birth support and postpardum doula. For those of you who do not know what a doula is (from Wikipedia):

Labor support doulas are trained and experienced labor support persons who attend to the emotional and physical comfort needs of laboring women to smooth the labor process. They do not perform clinical tasks such as heart rate checks, or vaginal exams but rather use massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, positioning suggestions, etc., to help labor progress as well as possible. A labor support doula joins a laboring woman either at her home or in hospital or birth center and remains with her until a few hours after the birth. In addition to emotional support, doulas work as advocates of their client’s wishes and may assist in communicating with medical staff to obtain information for the client to make informed decisions regarding medical procedures.

Postpartum doulas are trained to offer families evidence-based information and support on infant feeding, emotional and physical recovery from childbirth, infant soothing and coping skills for new parents. They may also help with light housework, fix a meal and help incorporate an older child into this new experience.

I will be discussing my experiences on this site, but I will not be divulging the personal information of any of the women who choose me for their support person. This is going to be a major lifestyle change and I am sure....quite an interesting ride!!