She Does Exist!

Doula Shmoula is even more fantastical than the stories would suggest!

The moment my husband and I met her, we both began to sigh a large sigh of relief. Finally. Someone who gets it.

Doula suggested that we wait until Abraham is ready to come into the world (novel idea), and that when I go into labor, we'll soon know if he is too big or in the wrong position to come out naturally. And if he is, then guess what? We'll have a c-section! IMAGINE THAT! We'll wait to see if I NEED a c-section before we SCHEDULE one!!

This all seems like a very obvious conclusion, but as I told Doula, when a doctor in a white lab coat tells you there's no other way, one tends to believe. It's not until a gal your own age, wearing the sweat pants she wore the night before while delivering a baby, tells you that you have options that you snap out of, what my husband calls, The Doctor Kowtow.

Am I scared to approach my doctor with MY plan? Yes. I am. I'm a rule-follower. I like to impress people by how well I can follow rules. I ALWAYS use my blinker and never hold the Windex closer than 10 inches from the bathroom mirror. But in this particular case, I know that this plan is the right plan for me. And as Doula said, this doctor works for me. (My voice cracked even as I TYPED that sentence.) It's my husband and I's choice how Abe starts his process of entering the world. We won't have control of everything. We get that. But now, we'll have a starting off point and a magical woman who will rub my back and encourage David and repeat over and over again, "This is completely normal."

By the way, we'll be having a bake sale this weekend to raise the money we need to hire Doula Shmoula. And because I can't eat sugar, it will consist mostly of fresh vegetables and lunch meats. I guess "bake sale" is sort of false advertising, but "vegetables and meat sale" seemed harder to market.