New beginnings

A year ago I was blogging about being bored stiff and living in terrible rut. Tonight I sit behind this keyboard with all the excitement of a child on Christmas Eve. My life is about to change in ways I had given up on . Today I leave my Monday through Friday, 8-5 job to follow a dream I've had since high school. Friday, I begin my journey to becoming a Doula. I'm so blessed to be where I am today. (Trust me the corniness of that last statement is not lost on me. To make matters worse, thanks to the shuffle feature on itunes, Blues Travelers' "The Mountains Win Again" is now playing as I write. Like a scene from a Nicolas Sparks book.)

Anyhow, things are really looking good. Tomorrow morning I will begin working with a set of twins. A boy and girl, henceforth we shall call them B(oy) & G(irl). Mom is wanting to breastfeed and I just took a class last night that focused on just that subject. I think my only concern is that mom will see that I'm no pro and freak out. My instructor last night was really very knowledgeable. She's been a doula for 28 years and specialized in multiples. What I found really interesting was the number of women who started the class wanting to breastfeed. All four of the mothers were very interested in breastfeeding until they learned that for at least the first two months they would have to feed in tandem every two hours or so. That's a huge reality to face isn't it? EVERY TWO HOURS.

As a doula, I get to leave after 12 hrs. I can eat, watch some TV, blog and sleep for 7-8 hrs before I have to do it all again. But Mom, she will have to survive for months on 1hr and 45 min cat naps. AROUND THE CLOCK. That is probably the most unselfish thing a woman could ever do. Because yes, Moms do benefit from breastfeeding but really she does it for her baby or in this case babies. Pumping is out of the question because unlike breastfeeding one baby, both breast are emptied at each feeding. Needless to say 2 of the 4 moms were inquiring about formula by the end of the class. I can't judge those women. I've been the woman's health industry for a while now and I have read TONS of books and articles and studies about the benefits of breastfeeding so I admit, I'm kinda partial. I don't know how much these women know about the benefits of breastfeeding. Maybe they've only read one or two of those books that try to stay neutral so as not to upset any mothers on either side of the issue. But the fact is after less than two hours they, and I'm pretty sure their partners, had changed their mind. I won't lie, it was a little disturbing.

Now please don't get me wrong, a mother should be able to decide how to raise her baby without judgment. But those women were not scared because off because they were selfish, they were scared off because they knew they wouldn't have the support system they needed to successfully breastfeed two babies around the clock. This is why I've chosen this profession. I want to spread awareness about doulas and what we do. Every woman deserves to have help at being a new mom. My mission is to help as many moms as I can, regardless of income, get the best care they can before, during and after the birth of their child...and I start tomorrow. Wish me luck.