This is my beautiful baby neice Ellie :) I love this picture.
Babies are definitely one of the perks of being a doula. Even though I'm done having mine, I get to enjoy other people's babies, and be a part of their entrance into this world. I've said it time and time again, it's incredible work and I LOVE it. Birthjunkie for sure.
The dark side of doula services for me is the stress of having childcare available for my kids at a moments notice when that pager finally goes off. I haven't been to a birth since June, so the stressful side had been forgotten (somewhat) for me until tonight. My dear client due in January may possibly be in labour. Tomorrow Joel works his last 24 hour shift and is then off for 3 weeks in a row (please don't hate me for that :) I have been praying that both my clients will deliver somewhere in those 3 weeks. I called Joel's mom (who has saved me on at least 3 births that I can think of by taking care of my kiddies), who is busy tomorrow morning, but said she can watch them in the afternoon. I have a call into a girlfriend who can hopefully help me out in the morning (if we need it). In the 12 births I've been too, my mom, Joel's mom, dad, my brother and sister-in-law and one friend have all pitched in to help look after my kids. Believe me, I feel like such a huge inconvenience to people. In the 4 1/2 years that I"ve been a doula I've struggled to find the answer to this dilemma. It's so hard though, I have so few girlfriends that don't work and would be able to take my kids during the day. Joel's dad is awesome and has offered to help out whenever he can (especially for evenings and overnight). Once I called him around 10:30 and he came and slept here while I ran off to a birth. But it's those days that are so tough. In a year and a half Lyric will be in school part-time, which may make it easier. Truthfully I can't wait for the time when I know the kids can manage on their own (a long way away I know!!), so I can just go off to a birth whenever I need to.
What I need is a list of people that I can call in an emergency that would be willing to take the kids with very little notice. Maybe I should put an ad in the paper?? I just don't know.
Well, I'm saved for tomorrow. A good friend who works but is off Thursdays and Fridays just called and said she can watch them tomorrow morning if I need her to. Now that I have childcare set up, I likely won't get called out, but at least I'll be able so sleep knowing I'm covered.
Argh. I've got to start looking more diligently for people who can babysit for me. The thing I hate about asking Joel's parents all the time is that I feel so guilty for inconveniencing them. I'd rather pay a sitter and then be spared the guilt...you know?
Any comments on the topic are greatly appreciated :)
Mel
Mel
1 comment:
I don't have any advice, but I can certainly imagine how you feel.
I am planning to be at the birth of a dear friend who was due a week ago today. She thought she was in labour all last weekend (turned out to be false labour, practice labour, whatever you want to call it). I lost a couple nights of sleep, and while laying in bed waiting for the phone to ring, I was thinking of you, and wondering if it gets any easier. I've only been to 2 other births before this. But I find it very stressful. Much as I LOVE the experience of being with women in birth, I worry about missing sleep, who will watch my kids, and now, how I'll get there quick enough as I'm usually without a car.
So anyway, I feel for ya. Hope you can work out a good arangement.
Post a Comment