When I last wrote about choosing a primary care provider for this pregnancy, we were on the fence about having a doula. We had one last time, and it was really helpful – a truly beneficial experience. Between the prenatal classes, her attendance during birth, and several postpartum texts, calls and visits, the support we received was incredible. And, to top it all off, because she was a family friend, she gave us a discount on her services. What would have cost approximately $1200 cost us less than half of that – a major factor when facing a year away from work.

So, you’re wondering, why haven’t you just called this family friend, booked her, and called it a day? Simple. She’s unavailable. She’s gone back to school, and September (Baby Oats’ due month) is the start of the semester.

The other doulas in our area (I had to check…were there any other doulas?) were charging an average of $1000 for the birth and 2 postpartum visits. I was sure they were just as experienced, and I knew that any support was better than no support. As I pulled out my notepad to create a pro-con list, I was struck by the fact that – hey, we’d done this before. Do we even NEED a doula? Let the list-making begin:

PRO:

  • support for Mr. O
  • help with pain management techniques during labour
  • a voice to advocate for us
  • help and support postpartum
  • someone else in the room in the event my case was transferred

CON:

  • we don’t have $1000
  • my awful social anxiety means that meeting a new person means extreme levels of panic
  • we’d done this before – was the money worth it?

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The cons, though fewer in number, were outweighing the pros. Baby Oats was a bit of a surprise, so the financial aspect weighed heavy on our minds. We were completely prepared to dismiss the idea of having a doula all together, when my midwife mentioned offhand that student doulas often offer lower prices. I asked her to pass along any contact information she might have, and wiped it from my mind.

Until I got that contact information. My student midwife was attending a birth the other day, and she got to chatting with the doula who was there. This doula is part of a large network in our area, and not only was she accepting new clients, but they had a team of student doulas working towards DONA certification (and needed more hours for births). My midwife called with the information, and upon searching the doula’s name and website, I realized that it’s a really, really small world. This doula is a member of our church, and she volunteers with my husband; we’ve known them for a few years now. And, once I emailed her, she graciously offered to work with us toward a price that we could afford.

That got the ball rolling again. Now, with the pros and cons virtually balanced, we had to decide. Do we go with a doula, whom we could most likely afford, or do we read some more books, chat with the midwives, and decide to go it alone?

At this point, we’re still undecided. We’ve got some time to choose, but not a whole lot. What would you do, given the circumstances? Did you have a doula for your second (third, fourth…) birth?