I don’t think the Life Doula is a thing, but it sure could be. What is a life doula you ask? Let me tell you!
If you are reading this blog, you probably already know a bit about what birth doulas do and how we are trained to provide support through the process of birth. One of the common reasons families choose to hire a doula is because they are about to do something that they have little to no experience doing – childbirth. Most women will only give birth a few times in their lives (if that) whereas most doulas have attended lots of births and do so on a regular basis. Walking through a major event with someone that does it all the time can be a huge help. Often times in my own life I have thought there should be other types of doulas for other types of things we do not do commonly do.
The top “Life Doula” ideas that pop into my mind are:
Dental Doula – Going to the dentist can be hard on your teeth, your wallet and a bit scary overall. A Dental Doula could help with questions like, “Is there a place I can read about the safety of fluoride, and what options for flavors do I have?”, or “What options do we have for treating that cavity?” The Dental Doula could also hold your hand during anything painful and bring you a soft milkshake when you are done (including wiping you face off if you still happen to be numb!).
House Buying Doula – A realtor comes close to this role, but unlike a doula, the realtor may not be unbiased as she stands to gain depending on how the deal goes down. A realtor is more like a relative who comes to the birth and is invested in meeting a new member of the family. Instead, the House Doula is neutral yet knows all the neighborhoods in your town, what rules the HOAs have and as a bonus, which streets have the best block parties. Then after supporting you through buying the house, she comes and helps you unpack and rubs your back after moving heavy boxes all day.
Make Up/Hairstyle/Fashion Doula – This Life doula is someone that can help you pick the right shade of lipstick, the appropriate dress to wear to your office party and who non-judgmentally – but realistically – talks you through your desire to get a pixie cut or go platinum blonde the day before a big event.
Car Buying Doula – So many ways a New Car Doula could help. Actually for this one, I would just want the New Car Doula to do the whole sale start to finish then drop the car off at my house when she is done.
New Parent Doula – New parents have a lot of questions. “Is my baby eating enough?” “Does the poop in this diaper look normal?” “What are the pros and cons of cloth diapers vs. plain ‘ole Papmers?” Maybe the biggest questions is “How can I get some sleep?” The good news for this one is that the New Parent Doula already exists! It is called a post parrtum doula – and we have them here at Great Expectations.
Do you have other ideas for a “Life Doula”? Let us know, we would love to hear them. In the mean time, if you need help with anything to do with birth, babies or breastfeeding, we have you covered!