My husband's best friend's wife (a close friend) is going to be my doula this time around. I did not have one the first time. She is in training and needs to attend 6 births before she can start charging money, so I initially asked about it/agreed to it thinking I could help her out, but now I am excited about the thought of having her there.
I had a C/S with my first and will be attempting a VBAC this time, but there is a good chance I'll have a C/S one way or another. Even then, I will be glad to have someone focused on *me* this time. For example, last time I was not technically induced, but I had my membranes stripped. I had an IV bag with antibiotics because I was strep B positive. At some point somebody said, "Oh! Stop the pitocin! She's already at 10!" Nobody told me they were putting pitocin in my bag . . . that's the kind of thing my doula will point out. "Oh, it looks like they are adding pitocin to your bag. Is that OK with you?" They also tried to move the baby from being stuck by tilting my bed a certain way. Again, no one told me this, and I know a doula would have acted as an intermediary. As a first-timer, I didn't know to ask. They were the experts, after all . . .
Also, when they called for the C/S, they had my husband go get dressed in scrubs . . . and then forgot to bring him back until I was already open on the table. Quite a way to greet him when he came in. I know my doula will make sure nobody forgets my husband!
Then I was put back in L&D while we waited for a room in maternity to open up. DH was watching DD at the nursery, and I was alone, and an anesthesiologist came in and was like, "OK, great, I'm here for your epidural." What if I had been too incapacitated to tell him I didn't need an epidural because I'd already had my baby?
Beyond these "oops" moments which HOPEFULLY were a one time thing and not normal operating procedure for this hospital (believe it or not, it's considered to be the best maternity hospital in the area), even if I have a c/s this time, I want a doula there to advocate for me. I want to nurse ASAP. I don't want to be sitting around for an hour or two by myself without my baby like I was last time. I want someone who can worry about ME when my husband is worrying about our new baby and our toddler at home. Somebody to bring me snacks when I need them, or find music I like on my iPod, or run to the store to get whatever I forgot.