I have to confess, I have been an accountant for the past twenty years, so you may ask, "How ever did you come to be a Birth Doula?" It's a good question and goes back quite a ways. I had my first baby over 17 years ago. When I found out I was expecting I went to the local OB/GYN and that was about it for my reseach on what was about to happen to me. Unfortunatelty many young women do exactly the same thing. You just assume that the doctors have your best interest at heart and will do what is best for you and the baby. Then I remember back to when my dad told what assuming does, ~ it makes an "ass of u and me."
Truth be told I was very lucky. I had an easy pregnancy and very easy labor, that is until the doctor got involved. I arrived at the hospital at 6:30 am and when the doctor checked me at 7:30 I was seven cm dialated. So far so good. My only trouble was the constant back pain. The nurse let me lay on my side and I had pressure on my back and all was well. But the minute the doctor came in he wanted me flat on my back. I instictively just wanted to put my hands down and push up so there wasn't any pressure on my butt. But again, that wasn't convenient for him. This back and forth dragged my pushing phase out to 2 and a half hours. At this point the kind doctor in his infinite wisdom decides it is time for a forcepts delivery. Forget that I have had no pain medication at all. In goes one and my eyes fly open , I bolt upright and scream at him like something out of the "Exorcist!" Needless to say he backed away and let me do what I needed to do on my own. The baby was born 15 minutes later. I don't know if it was because I was finially in a more upright position, or if I needed to get that mad to push or a combination of both. What I do know for certain is that everything that he did to me caused me more pain and slowed my progress. I went home from the hospital very disappointed in him. Then I began to read everything I could get my hands on to figure out what had happened. And that is where my journey began.........Melanie M. Neumann, LMT
Certified Pregnancy Massage Therapist
Doula
http://www.tampabaymassagetherapy.com/
