Used a Doula at Georgetown?

[dstmom]

I plan to deliver at Georgetown and am hoping to have a VBAC. I would also like to hire a doula and am very interested in Claudia Booker (Birthing Hands DC). Has anyone used a doula at Georgetown? What was your experience?

[Anonymous]

Yup - no problems at all. Nurses and docs were very receptive.

[dstmom]

Who did you use?

[Anonymous]

Yes, twice, no problems. I used Sarah Sragg - great doula!

[Anonymous]

hey, i had a vbac last week at gtown and only thought of getting a doula in the past two weeks, so didn't end up with one... but i found the staff at gtown to be very supportive and my nurses rarely left my side...

[dstmom]

23:41, what G-town doctor delivered your little one? I am seeing Dr. Maynard, but I know that it is likely he will not be delivering my child since I could end up with anyone in the practice.

[Anonymous]

hi, i'm the pp who delivered by vbac last wk at gtown. Colie was my primary, but I saw Maynard once - both were super supportive of VBAC. When I arrived in labor, mazloomdost (not sure how to spell her name) was there and my husband was getting cold feet about a vbacand wanted to go to section (especially after a slight dip in the baby's heart rate) - she kept us on track and kept encouraging us to keep trying, so we stuck with it... 22 hours later, when i delivered, nilgeri was on and i had more drops in heart rate, which only resolved with oxygen and lying on my right side, so that's the position i pushed and delivered in. If anything, I found them to be more pro-VBAC than me!

same goes for all the residents and nurses - keep encouraging me to keep going, to start pitocin to augment my contractions (they plateued in the hospital in bed; couldn't get out of bed b/c of heart rate issues requiring monitoring) - all had great experiences with VBAC and acted like it was nothing special... completely different to the world on DCUM, where it seems like people fight to be allowed to VBAC and get pressured into scheduled sections...

at gtown, it seemed like this was very ordinary and boring...

of note, i had a serious drop in blood pressure 2 or 3 hours after delivery and then they did worry about uterine rupture and i had to have some blood tests, got medication, and got several sonograms to confirm that there was no rupture - i thought my worst fears of a hysterectomy were coming true, but even when they suspected rupture, they said they would watch and wait and NOT take me to the OR right away b/c most ruptures will close off and heal on their own (this was under the care of Drs. wolf and landy). all was well in the end...

[Anonymous]

I had a VBAC at Georgetown and had a doula - Breen wasn't super enthusiastic when I told her I was planning to get a doula (I think she said something like, well make sure you get a good one then) but during labor and delivery, everyone seemed happy to have my doula there, especially the nurses (one of them was even in training to become a doula). I agree with everything the PP said about having a positive VBAC experience at Georgetown, the nurses and doctors were very supportive throughout. Good luck!

[dstmom]

It is such a relief to hear these positive VBAC stories re: Georgetown. Dr. Maynard has been very supportive so far with my decision to try for a VBAC. I had been skeptical though because of all the things I read on the internet. Thanks for the encouragement!

[Anonymous]

Bump. I have the same question. Anyone else used a doula or had a VBAC at Georgetown?