Is a Doula Worth It?

As you navigate through your pregnancy and begin to plan for your upcoming labor and birth, have you found yourself asking, is a doula worth it? It’s a great question and one that deserves an answer.

No one questions the worth of a doctor or a midwife, because we all prioritize the physical health of ourselves and our babies. But a lot of times we don’t think about the incredible emotional journey on which pregnancy and birth lead us. Or we look at the expense of having a professional support person and wonder if perhaps our money is best spent elsewhere.

However, just as you put time and effort into picking the right place to birth and the best medical care provider for your wants and needs, you should also consider the importance of choosing someone to help care for your heart, soul, and mind.

Birth is transformative. It is easily one of the most important events that you will ever go through in your entire life. As you contemplate the immensity of this experience, you can imagine how vulnerable you may feel. This moment in your life, good or bad, has the potential to stay with you for a very long time and create a memory that you will either want to remember or want to forget. For this reason, it is so important to guard the birth experience as much as is humanly possible.

When you hire a doula, you are investing in your birth experience. You are choosing to give yourself the best possible chance to go into your labor feeling knowledgeable, prepared, brave, and strengthened, and walk away from your birth feeling capable, empowered, glorious, and full of joy.

Providing yourself with a one-on-one support person who is trained to understand not only the technical terms and positions of labor and delivery, but knows how to translate everything you are feeling into imagery, affirmations, encouragement, and strength is a gift to the very innermost parts of yourself.

There is absolutely nothing that replaces that incredible feeling when you look the intensity of labor straight in the face and know that you will prevail because you have positioned yourself with the best support system possible.

But what if you already have a partner who wants to be your birth companion? Is a doula still worth it? Again, another great question!

Pretend for a moment that birth is like climbing Mt. Everest. You and your partner are hiking companions.

Your doula is like your Sherpa. Your doula helps you know the easiest path to take. Your doula helps you to know when to push forward, when to rest, when to eat, how to breathe. Your doula guides you on alternate trails when necessary, knows what equipment you will need, and shows you how to train beforehand.

Now, ask yourself and your partner these questions:

Have you and your partner ever climbed Mt. Everest before? Have you and your partner ever attended a birth before? Is your partner prepared to be your hiking companion or your Sherpa? Would your partner want to scale Mt. Everest without a Sherpa? Would your partner like a Sherpa to guide you both as you climb the mountain of labor and birth?

You see, your doula never replaces your partner. She helps you walk together. She gives you both strength and direction. She never leaves your side. She is a cheerleader for both of you and strives to see you both reach the top.

Is a Sherpa worth it?
Is a doula worth it?

I know for me, I wouldn’t hike the tallest mountain in the world alone, nor would I expect my partner to either. In the same way that investing in a hiking guide is worth it, investing in a birth guide can make all the difference in this journey.

Yes, a doula is worth it. Because YOU are worth it. Your birth story is worth every penny. Whether it is your first or your fifth, it makes no difference. How you perceive this mountain-top experience will shape and mold your memories, your emotional health, and your spiritual well-being. 

Make it a good one. Make it count.

* I drew a lot of inspiration for this post from my incredible experiences in the country of Nepal where I first became involved in birthwork 22 years ago. My sister and I lived in a remote village that took us 13 hours to hike to and we depended heavily on native female porters to help us carry our load and navigate the long, narrow path. We couldn’t have made it without their expertise, strength, and encouragement. Learn more about this part of my story on my About Me page.

Is a doula worth it? Nepali Porter