During my first pregnancy, I spent a lot of time being scared out of my mind about giving birth. I was planning on having an unmedicated birth, but I felt genuinely insane for making that choice. In case you're wondering, these are great reasons to hire a doula. A doula — who, in case you're a little lost, is someone who provides non-medical support for laboring women — can help you get through almost anything when you're giving birth (well, aside from some obvious stuff, like the medical part of things).
My husband, bless his heart, did not have any experience with childbirth (I mean, fair), so it seemed ridiculous that I should expect him to know what to do. Sure, we went to prenatal classes together, but for him to remember all the pain management techniques and tips we learned there, he’d have to study like it was the bar exam. Lucky for me, a good friend was studying to become a doula, and needed to assist in a certain number of births before she could be certified. The bonus? She was also a registered massage therapist.
Now, I do want everyone to know that my husband did an amazing job of supporting me during the labor and delivery of both kids. But man oh man, when I was reeling from back labor that first time, my doula was a godsend. Here are a bunch of other times during labor when you'll be so, so glad you decided to have a doula as part of your birth squad: