My mind's always whirring when I'm doing something mindless... driving, dishes, folding laundry (oh wait, scratch that... I don't fold laundry). Anyway, this afternoon, as I drove on the freeway to pick up my husband at the finish of the Ragnar Relay Del Sol, I found myself thinking about birth. It's where my brain usually goes by default.Anyway, I was remembering the dream I had back in November where I was doula-ing a woman, totally in my groove. Like it was what I was born to do. About a week ago I had another doula dream. This time I was doula-ing a friend of mine who is currently pregnant. I won't be attending her for this birth, but perhaps in the future? It was a great dream though. Seeing the look on her face as she pulled her vernix-covered baby up onto her chest was priceless.
Do you ever think about how all the pieces of your life come together and suddenly you see why they came together that way. When I attended my doula training almost exactly a year ago, I had no idea how I was going to fit doula work into my life. I have felt guided or "called" to this path, but I haven't been able to figure out how to make it compatible with being a stay-at-home-mom. But, this afternoon, I was thinking about those dreams, and thinking about the two births I may be attending this coming June (for a friend and a cousin), and thinking about how I have the luxury of being married to a man who has a month off every summer (he's a school psychologist). And I realized in that moment that I've been given a gift--a month-long window of opportunity every year. Maybe I can't be a full-time doula in this season of my life, but I can be a mid-June to mid-July doula. I can offer my assistance to a couple of friends each year. I don't feel ready or able to surrender my life to doula work all year (I can't just leave my family at a moment's notice), but the summer feels manageable and perfect. Maybe I could even start doing childbirth education of some sort on the weekends during the rest of the year?
I'm babbling now. But I guess I just wanted you to know... I'm excited about being a summer doula. (If you want me, plan your conceptions accordingly!) I'm also excited to see where life takes me next. And grateful I married that handsome guy in the above photo who inspires me to follow my dreams (and has lots of lovely work vacations).
P.S. Wow, I really like to break that rule about not beginning sentences with "And" or "But," don't I?
7 comments:
I have no eloquent or even coherent thoughts at this point. But I love this post. And your ideas. And that you'll be a summer doula. I shall arrange for my next baby to be born in June. :-)
(Also, I too apparently love breaking the and/but rule.)
Awesome. End of June is better. ;-)
What rule? I thought it was more of a suggestion. Hehe.
I love your plan.
I've thought a lot about this too. I wonder if/how things might change once my kids start school, too, although it would always be tricky. I like your thoughts, though. :)
Or you could just get lucky like me. ALL of my doula clients except one have had their babies on the weekend! Crazy, I know. Maybe God knows my situation and is sort of looking out for me. Also, all my clients except one have gone before thier due dates-- I'm considering using that as a marketing ploy!
Wow, your blog is so fascinating! I'm glad I came by here!
I really wanted to have my baby with no medical interventions, but in the end I ended up induced with an epidural and after pushing for 2 1/2 hours, they used a vacuum to get her out.
I don't think any of that really affected my mothering style. I nurse quite successfully and I feel a grand attachment to my daughter.
However, I wish I would have been able to do it on my own. I wish I would have had the patience to refuse induction, and the fortitude to labor through the pain.
In the future, I would like to do it without getting induced, as I'm told the pain is much worse when labor is forced.
All in all, though, it was an amazingly beautiful experience. There's nothing like seeing that little head pop out from between your legs and suddenly you don't feel the pain of pushing any more (I know you're not supposed to feel it with the epidural, but I did) and you don't care how tired you are because you've been working so hard because there's that amazing little face you've never seen before but you love SO MUCH and you would do anything to help this new, little, helpless person!
I love it.
I can totally relate to the feeling of being called as a doula. I started when my youngest was 1 and it was slow going. But he is 4 now and my oldest is 12. I can do more and more births.
It all works out the way it needs to! :)
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