"glorified birth junkies"

It depends.

To be a doula, you can take a few certification courses. To obtain my RN, I went through 4 years of college.

To be a doula, you support the family and woman and help her clarify her choices but do not make/impose medical decisions upon her. As an RN, you do this and more, by giving pain relieving or lifesaving medication if necessary, documenting the process, keeping the woman and baby SAFE.

To be a doula, you are there for the whole birth, 2 hours or 48 hours. As an RN, I show up for my assigned 8 hour shift, do my work, and go home. (For my family with kids, this works better as it is predictable.

Do you need a steady income with benefits? Can you leave your family at a moments notice for 2 days to support a birth. It is very rewarding but not a great income or predictable life. Good luck.

It depends.

To be a doula, you can take a few certification courses. To obtain my RN, I went through 4 years of college.

To be a doula, you support the family and woman and help her clarify her choices but do not make/impose medical decisions upon her. As an RN, you do this and more, by giving pain relieving or lifesaving medication if necessary, documenting the process, keeping the woman and baby SAFE.

To be a doula, you are there for the whole birth, 2 hours or 48 hours. As an RN, I show up for my assigned 8 hour shift, do my work, and go home. (For my family with kids, this works better as it is predictable.

Do you need a steady income with benefits? Can you leave your family at a moments notice for 2 days to support a birth. It is very rewarding but not a great income or predictable life. Good luck.

I agree. I think it would be a really rewarding and fascinating job for someone who doesn't have young children, and who is un-attached, or has a very understanding husband/partner.

Find a doula training program and start that while taking your nursing courses. Do you have a college degree? Have you attended college? If not, a good plan might be to start taking nursing pre-reqs, which are courses needed for most college degrees -- english, science, math, &c. I recommend doula training for anyone wanting to work in L&D, anyway - you learn a lot about labor support, supporting a mom in labor, &c, that you're not likely to learn in nursing school.

I've been working as a doula (and childbirth educator and lactation educator) for the past 5 years and am now in nursing school with the intention of specializing in L&D and maybe become a midwife someday.

For me, being a doula wasn't enough. I wasn't busy enough. I didn't have enough opportunities to help a woman and her family the way I know I can.

Being a doula and educator has given me valuable insight on many things- stuff they don't teach you in nursing school. Things that will make me a really good, caring, L&D nurse. I am very familiar support techniques that many L&D nurses don't use or know about.

So, for me, doula was a great starting point. But my calling is nursing and I'm really proud of that.

I am a total birth junkie. Glorified as an RN? HARDLY. I just stand amazed at the human female body and what it can do----and the birth of new families still sends chills up my spine. Yep I am a junkie alright. But ain't NOBODY glorifying me. OK by me.

Although I no longer work OB, I still can't get enough of watching deliveries on the TV. Yea, I know!!! I worked L&D and PP and Mother/Baby for 15 years. I miss it terribly! But I don't miss the changes!!!! When I trained in L&D as a grad nurse, I was at the bedside to monitor and assist with labor. I did this for 2 years. Then my first husband and I moved to another state and my manager in my new position told me I spent too much time with my patients!!!!!! They wanted me at the nurse's station watching the monitor. I only stayed there 3 months. Went to another hospital where I was the only labor nurse and would have 2 patients in labor, and would have to shut down pit when the other was delivering. I hated that!!!!

I did get to be in the delivery of my granddaughter this past October! I was in heaven!!!!

In reference to an earlier comment regarding holdingng babies", it makes me think I might have made my l&d nurses day. After a long medication free labor and eventual C-section, when I was finally alone in my room with my 1st, he was fussing and nothing I did would make him happy, I finally called my nurse and asked her what I should do. She took him from me, sat in the rocking chair in my room, and rocked and soothed him until he was quiet. As more time goes on, I realize what a blessing she was, and how that was probably a very peaceful moment for her on her long shift. People who are called to that particular line of work and definitely special.

I am a total birth junkie. Glorified as an RN? HARDLY. I just stand amazed at the human female body and what it can do----and the birth of new families still sends chills up my spine. Yep I am a junkie alright. But ain't NOBODY glorifying me. OK by me.

That's beautiful. When I did my OB rotation for LVN school, I saw 5 births, and cried at every one of them. I wonder how many I would have to see before I stop tearing up.

What is a glorified birth junkie? I think I might be one of them :rotfl: Seriously though. I think the responsibility of being the RN during the deliver will not allow me to experience the process in the way I'm imagining.

I know I sound so wishy washy, but I truly believe it's better for ALL involved that I found out exactly what goes on in L&D (as an RN) before I even take one more step.

I believe in my heart that I have a calling to be a Doula more than an RN. Though the cervix checks and helping the mom push are incredible (IMO), I think as a birth junkie I want to just be there with the parent(s) and not off charting and worrying about losing my license.

Can anyone help me sort this all out?

I think you're very perceptive. RNs and doulas have very different jobs during labor and delivery, though there is some overlap- as different as an RNs and an OBs jobs. Just because you love one doesn't mean you'll love the other. I am a birth junkie too, though that part of me isn't completely fulfilled as an OB nurse. On the other hand, I happen to love nursing- even non-OB nursing- so it works out just fine.

Altalorraine