Do you want to help me with a research report?

To all mothers and expectant mothers,

I am doing a research report on the Significance of Birth to the Mother for a course I'm working on. I'm studying to become a Certified Labor Doula. A labor doula is a person who is specially trained to provide support to a woman and her partner during labor and delivery, and immediately postpartum. She stays with her clients throughout the birth, helping them to have a birth experience that is as close to what they desire as possible. The answers I receive will help me to form a better understanding of what is important to a woman during her labor and delivery, what women have found helpful in enhancing the birth experience, and what has been harmful. In answering these questions, think about what has been helpful and harmful to you and or your baby physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, and how birth affected you in these areas. Thank you very much for any information that you can share with me. Please skip any questions that you don't wish to answer. Any information that you choose to share with me will remain completely anonymous.
Please copy the body of this post into a new email, and send your answers to mybirthexperience@gmail.com or send your answers by mail to:
My Birth Experience
c/o P. Meyer
P.O. Box 101
Hovland, MN 55606

Or, if you wish, please make any comments directly to this blog post.


Please choose your age category;
19 or younger, 20-25, 25-30, 35-40, 40-45, 45-50, over 50 _________

The age category you were in at the time of your first birth was: _________

How many times have you given birth? ________

Are you currently expecting? ________

Thinking back to the time you were expecting each baby, use this space to explain how you hoped birth would affect you, what you envisioned for yourself, partner and baby. There are no wrong answers. I want to hear whatever you thought about how it might affect you positively. Also, share any especially positive things that occurred during your pregnancy. Maybe someone did or said something that had a positive impact on you during that time.

Next, thinking back to the time you were expecting each baby, please describe any negative thoughts or feelings you had about birth. Also, share any especially uncomfortable or unpleasant experiences that occurred during your pregnancy, and the negative affect they had on you. Maybe someone said or did something that you perceived in a very negative way at the time.

Use this space to share as much about each birth story as you'd like to. Be as detailed as you wish. Please include information about each of the following and how these things affected you; the support you had during each birth, where each birth occurred (not specifically, but hospital, home, car, etc...), how you felt about the treatment you received by any doctors, nurses, or labor support people who were present, including your spouse, how you felt about pain medications and what you were encouraged to do about any pain that you experienced, and your postpartum experience, nursing experiences, and absolutely anything else you wish to share with me. Every detail you want to share will be helpful to me. Thank you so much for sharing this part of your life with me! I appreciate your participation.
P. Meyer
Doula in Training