Sue wrote:
I guess I just deal with it different. I interalized my pain, focused,
breathed, rocked back and forth and got through it. I didn't have drugs nor
did anyone push them on me. I had very good experiences with my births. I
did have an epidural with my first, but it didn't take and they took it out.
No one pushed me into having it though. Everyone is different and most are
looking for that magical experience, but I just wanted to get through it,
lol.

I don't think that everyone who hires a doula
(or who shoots for a low intervention birth) is looking
for a "magical experience." In fact, lots of women I know
who wanted low intervention births were very skeptical
of the whole "birth experience" and had completely
different reasons for wanting less intervention. Lots of
people find that they *did* have unwanted things pushed on
them. Some find that they don't get enough support *for them*
from staff (especially as hospitals get more and more
understaffed). Some found that they *didn't* get through it
without skilled help. Not only are people different, and not
only are their goals different, but their environments are
different as well. I can certainly understand that you
(and plenty of other women, for assorted reasons) feel
no need for a doula to achieve your goals, but other
women-even some whose goals are very similar to yours--
may find that a doula is important for them to achieve
those goals.

Best wishes,
Ericka