Kris Loewen, Doula Support
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The Value of a Doula

2/4/2016

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Mommy approved stroller $800
Safety rated car seat $400
Intricate hand woven “one of a kind” wrap $500
Doula support…priceless*

“I’m sure that a doula is worth her fee, but it’s a lot of money right now with a baby coming and me going off work.”
I hear this a lot when I am in the community meeting new parents-to-be. And, yes, you are right. A doula is not cheap. Babies are not cheap. When you are having a baby, especially your first, expenses really add up! When you look at the price tag for a stroller, car seat, crib, bassinet, wrap, baby carrier, diapers, clothing, blankets, birth certificates, baby photographer, RESP’s, and on and on, it can be a little daunting. And, this goes on for the next 20 or more years! When I started having babies, 15 years ago, I was told that it would cost me $250,000 to raise that child. Thank God it’s not all up front!!
Which brings me to my first point…
In the grand scheme of how much this baby, this little bundle of joy and delight, will cost you, a doula is a tiny portion of that amount. This little one will blow through diapers, eat through the fridge and before you know it be asking to borrow the car or, even worse, your credit card!
Point number two…
You will never regret hiring a doula! Have you heard about birth memories? Research has shown that, no matter what happens, birth is such a momentous event in a mother’s life that there are certain parts of the birth that she will never forget. This is why pregnant women all over the world get stopped in public by old women who want to touch their belly. Women remember. They remember their babies, their bellies, their good experiences and the bad. When you hire a doula you improve your chance for better birth outcomes. You are less likely to need interventions and are more likely to feel good about your birth. Therefore when you REMEMBER, your birth, it will be a positive memory.
Point number 3…
What do you get for your investment in a doula? In addition to the things I have already mentioned, you have on-call availability of a specially trained woman who is totally dedicated to your emotional well-being. She will be the one person at your labour and birth who is solely dedicated to this. She will support you and your partner through the many long hours and twists and turns of labour. She will help you find the resources needed, help you ask questions and help you find the answers that are right for you. Your doula will support you and your partner on your journey through birth and into parenthood. She will leave you feeling like the strongest parent you can be.
Point number 4…
Her support is priceless. A stroller, a car seat and a baby carrier will eventually be thrown out or passed on to a friend or a sister. A doula will empower you. The memories you make, the parent you become, the child you raise will be with you forever. Priceless.
Hire some support. She will be worth her weight in gold!

*So, how much does a doula cost anyways? In Kelowna, most experienced doulas charge between 500 and 1500 dollars; a chunk of change and certainly more than I usually have lying around. Ok, truth, I’ve never had that much lying around! But, I like to look at it this way. If your doula costs you the $1000 Kelowna average, and it costs you about $250,000 to raise your child, your doula will be 0.004% of your total child-rearing costs (and likely much less if you consider inflation).
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Sex ed and other cute topics with kids!

12/5/2014

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Hey fellow bloggers and birthing community!! I am brand new to blogging..so we will see how this goes. I don't love to sit at my computer, give me people any day!!! And I don't love to write...BUT, I have been told to blog or write a book, a few times and I do love to talk and tell stories...so here I go...pretending that my fingers are talking as they type out a story :)
Most of my stories have some sort of funny punch line and usually involve one or two of my children. Well, on that note, one of my favourite mommy/doula moments ever was when my son asked me (6 at the time) how babies are made. I know, right!!! Daunting topic for most parents. But not for me. I am armed with all of my doula knowledge and a high level of comfortability when it comes to words like placenta, sperm, and vulva! (Just ask the guys who sat next to me at Starbucks last week!) Well, not wanting to give away the farm or scar my child forever I began to ask him questions and give him a teeny bit of information at a time.
I began saying that you need a mommy and a daddy to make a baby. The mommy has the egg and the daddy has the sperm. To which he promplty replied, "I know that! But HOW does the sperm and the egg get to each other." Now...his little sister was in the room and I think I visibly, audibly gulped. Wow, I thought! He wants the farm!!!!
Since his little sister was only 5 at the time and in the room, I replied with a comfortable "Well, that sounds like a conversation that you and I can have when you are seven." He thought about that for a moment and quickly said "Oh right...I remember!" Then he made a hugging, squeezing, loving guesture with both arms and said in a mischevious voice.."Lots of love!!!"
It took all of my strength to keep from laughing at that.
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Birth is emotional...Emotional health check in time!

12/5/2014

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Attended another amazing birth this weekend!! Always amazed at the intensity of the bonding immediately after...Mom to Babe, Dad to Babe, and Mom and Dad to each other. A real blessing when things are this emotional and hormonally high! Unfortunately not everyone experiences this. Families start in many ways...if your experience left you feeling robbed, less than satisfied or worse...talk to someone. Talk to me if you want. It is important how we process this experience.
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    Kris Loewen

    New to blogging, Kris writes about life, learning, birth and the chaos of family life. She lives with her husband, 4 children, two guinea pigs, and a cat.

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