Dear employee: I am writing out your termination papers. Prepare.

[French G.]

There was a doula at my kids arrival. Very helpful with 30 hour labor. Delivery was hospital, but with a nurse midwife attending. But yeah, excellent firing.

[Northwoods]

Thankful we didn't pay for a doula.  After 4 kids my was in labor for a cumulative total of 8.5 hours.  Doula would have been pointless, partly because it's doubtful she'd have even arrived before delivery on any but the first.  Guaranteed to have missed the second, given he was 7 minutes old when we got to the birth center.

[Jocassee]

There was a doula at my kids arrival. Very helpful with 30 hour labor. Delivery was hospital, but with a nurse midwife attending. But yeah, excellent firing.

Yeah this is one of these things that varies wildly by couple and sometimes by birth. One of my wife's sisters had a 3 day labor and her husband was completely unhelpful. Doula might have been good in that case.

[MechAg94]

The problem with this concept is the different pricing scales used by the parties.  Personal services act A is valued by the husband at $ 25, while the wife values it at $ 150.  No way in heck am I paying $ 150 for personal services act A when I can find it at the local bar for $ 25. 

I hear that wives typically demand a monopoly on some services and using competing services can often lead to problems. 

[zahc]

There is seemingly legit British research that suggests the man's presence at the birth results in longer labors. My own experiences are consistent with the theory. So if that's true it would make sense to outsource standing there and holding her hand and not really doing a damn thing.

[Northwoods]

My wife had such fast labors that if me being there slowed it down she'd have killed me if I'd not been there.

[BobR]

Is she fired? Did she cry and plead? Is doulaing enough to pay bills, probably not.

bob

[AmbulanceDriver]

We hired a doula for all three of our births (the same doula).  Even with my background in healthcare and EMS, I was well, not useless, but also not as useful as one might have liked....   She did great in helping us.  In a lot of ways, while I was supporting my wife, she was supporting us both.  She coached us through a lot of different ideas and suggestions for helping labor to progress, and she was worth every penny that we paid. 

She's also recently become a nurse midwife. 

[AmbulanceDriver]

But in this case?  absolutely a good firing.