Choices Choices!

I guess it’s better to have choices rather than to have none. I mean, options are generally a good thing right? But lately with deciding things for our baby the choices won’t stop coming.

What to name her… That’s a big, no HUGE one. Deciding the name that she’ll be known by for the rest of her life… Talk about pressure! I went through an entire iPhone ap worth of baby names. Saved my favorites then had my husband tell me which of those he liked. Six were left. We somehow narowed it down to three, and now, I think one.

Now don’t get too excited, I’m not planning on sharing the name until after birth. I was looking for mostly “J” names but “Gabriella” and “Tatiana” were in our top 4.

Yesterday I ordered the wooden letters I plan to decorate for her nursery. I had a dream about her the night before an in it we said her name. It fit perfectly in my dream and it felt right the next morning, so I went with it! My husband likes it too.

Now some of the other choices we’re faced with… To doula or not to doula? That’s a big, HUGE question. I only have one friend in real life who hired a doula and I LOVED reading about her experience, it’s just that when it comes down to it… For us, I wonder if it’s REALLY necessary. I know we don’t need one to survive a birth, and some say it’s made their experience better, others were annoyed by them, so I’m not sure what to think.

I’ve had phone interviews with a few and corresponded via email to a dozen others  and while some I really like and feel a connection to, I haven’t found the perfect one yet that goes with out budget, personalities, and qualifications. The search is exhausting too. With a full time job pushing out 50+ hrs of week, plus babysitting and writing on the side, it doesn’t leave a ton of time and patients to keep searching for a doula when I’m not even positive we want one yet.

I’m not going to give up though. It’s still pretty early and my OB’s office says they have some referrals so I’ll check that out too. And if we don’t go with one, I’m sure it won’t be the end of the world.

Did you have a doula.

Then there’s carseat choices, bassinet choices, baby carrier choices. Aye, I guess it’s all a part of the journey. Wish me luck with it all!

Oh, and don’t forget to help me with my stroller choice here.

How did you decide on everything? Recommendations?