I’ve always wanted to have one of these pages so that I can start it with “I’m just a small town girl,” like the song goes.. But that wouldn’t be the truth, so……
I grew up in a small BIG city outside of LA, California. Once I was old enough and situated and lost my job due to medical purposes, I moved to Arizona in another small big city outside of Phoenix in the West Valley. I got married to my long-time sweetheart and after three months and truly 31 YEARS of “patiently waiting” I bawled my eyes out as I cried my husband and told him I was pregnant.
I had always dreamed of a home birth but as we had just moved, I wasn’t yet comfortable and settled in my new home and felt a birth at a “birthing center” had my name written all over it! I was then told at my first OB appointment that due to my trauma history I would be considered a “high risk” patient and they recommended I have a hospital birth.
My dreams were shattered!
Low and behold, I came across minimal doula evidence and felt that having the support would be “right” for me as it was my husband and my first baby and we didn’t have any family or friends living in the new area we had recently moved to. We wanted an “advocate” as we kept hearing everyone call them. Little did we know that a doula is so much more…..
By the end of it all, I ended up having Cutotec induction, Cervidil induction, Pitosin induction, and an epidural by hour 49 of labor. That was when they were getting SERIOUS about the C-section talk. I knew I could hang in there and, just like that, the epidural pushed me to 10 cm dilated! WOOHOO! I pushed for 4.5 hours BUT, I don’t think all of this was a waste or a “bad experience.” I’m so happy to have my little miracle baby, I’m so happy to have no cervical tears, and I’m happiest of all to have had all of these experiences to pass along to you so that you don’t have to feel pressured to have the home birth your sister never got or the epidural your mother is pushing for or the puppy your husband is still hoping this is all about. lol
I didn’t come to be a doula after my birth, I found myself becoming a doula after the first birth I attended that turned from a Foley Bulb, to Pitosin, to an Epidural, to hemorrhaging. It should never happen and it was shocking when it happened in front of my eyes but all of my experiences bring me here to help serve you as beset as I can.
Be that in home or hospital ~ ; )
Truly yours,
Deanna the DONA Doula