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Episode 067. Why We Hired a Doula: A Dad’s Perspective with Chris & Lori Beth Auldridge

Episode 067

Are you thinking about hiring a doula but aren’t 100% sure it’s the right choice for you? How does your partner feel about having a doula? Are they on the fence? Aren’t sure it’s necessary? It’s a big decision. Everything surrounding babies and birth can feel like a big decision. That’s why my husband Chris is with me today to help you on your quest to gather more information, stories, and resources to find out if hiring a doula is right for you.

This episode is 2 parents who had 3 babies with 3 doulas sitting down together and casually talking about how our 3 different doulas all helped us before, during, and after the births of our children and why we absolutely recommend bringing a doula into your birth team.

This show doesn’t contain medical advice, just parts of our 3 birth stories in the hope it helps you and your husband or partner by shining a light on how our doulas served BOTH of us during the pregnancy, birth, and newborn seasons of parenting.

What is a Doula?
I’ll start by telling you what they are not: they are not doctors, midwives, or lawyers.
What they are: kind, compassionate, steady birth support

Our Bio: Chris & Lori Beth have been together for 10 years, married for 7.5, with 3 kids together. We own a family renovation business, homeschool our kids, and live on a small farm on the island of Maui.

We’re both BIG fans of doulas. We were able to see in hindsight (and in the moment!) just how pivotal their presence was at each of our births. This episode is also a shout out to my 3 doulas—Jill, Kristina, and Kiana!—who helped me not only educate myself (soooooo much!) but also supported me during my labors and helped me process my birth stories after.
Mamas, this is a good one to share with your birthing partner if they need more information. I think you’ll both appreciate Chris’s directness, examples, and stories. Sometimes it just helps to hear the dad’s perspective from someone else. We both hope it helps.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

  • How our doulas provided physical, emotional, and informational support during my pregnancies, hospital births, and postpartum
  • How our doulas acted as buffers between the two of us as parents
  • How our doulas acted as buffers between me and the hospital staff
  • Evidence based birth says that a 2012 study showed that only 6% of birthing women used doulas (here’s hoping that number has increased over the years!)
  • The incredible steady support they offered during labor and delivery
  • How they helped me process my birth story after
  • Common hang-ups people have about hiring doulas and our personal responses to those
  • Why we believe doulas are key birth workers & should be more common

A Few Closing Thoughts:

  • We understand that doulas aren’t for everyone
  • If cost is a factor, many have payment plans available or know of community options for you and your family
  • I forgot to mention another wonderful perk of having a doula was that it allowed me to feel comfortable about laboring at home for as long as possible before going to the hospital. Having a knowledgeable, experience mama around really eased my mind and gave me headspace to labor at home
  • We could have talked about doulas aaaaaaaall day—it was challenging to sort out which points to bring up, which stories to tell, and what to say to be as helpful as possible to as many couples as we could. It turns out that is a lot to unpack. At the end of the day, we are grateful for our doulas and the support we received and wish you the best of luck with your birth. Aloha!

Online Doula Resources:

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SPONSORS

Ojai Energetics: We don’t shy away from topics here on Elevating Motherhood. Mostly because I believe it’s time we break through myths and assumptions with real conversations, resources, and perspective. Like we are today with Jazmyne…and like we did in episode 15, Intro to CBD when I interviewed Will Kleidon the CEO of Ojai Energetics, a B corp that produces high quality, organic, water soluable CBD. So many moms wanted to know more about CBD, so I went straight to a credible source. Ojai Energetics has extended a special offer for Elevating Motherhood listeners—free shipping on every order, plus a free tube of CBD sports gel if you order 3 bottles or more. Head to www.elevatingmotherhood.com/cbd for more info on CBD, links to the Episode 15, and the special offer from Ojai Energetics.

MUTU System: Thanks to MUTU System for supporting today’s episode of Elevating Motherhood. MUTU is a medically recommended, online exercise program that is designed to support mothers postpartum. And it’s not just for moms who have new babies. I started using MUTU 2.5 years after my third baby was born. My hip issues and unresolved diastasis recti were continuing to get in the way of my exercise attempts and everyday comfort level. I decided to do something about it and MUTU was the support I was looking for. I started to experience relief after just a week of using the program. I highly recommend it as a way to boost your strength and confidence! It’s gentle, do-able, effective—and you can use it at home. Buy it once and it’s yours for life. There’s more information over at elevatingmotherhood.com/mutu And you can hear more from the founder and CEO Wendy Powell in Episode 41. Go check it out! www.elevatingmotherhood.com/mutu

LINKS

Love the Show? Leave a review on iTunes!
Connect with Lori Beth on Instagram: @loribethauldridge and @elevatingmotherhood
Visit Today’s Sponsors: Ojai Energetics + MUTU System
More About Your Host: Lori Beth’s Blog