My partner is the AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<3

Edit: This note was written while I overheard Max navigating the formidable and totally opaque bureaucracy of our health plan, with its many many phone transfers, dead ends, and vague answers. I love listening to his polite, tactful, friendly but totally-not-taking-any-crap phone manner. He is quite effective, and I love his willingness to persevere.

We're going to have a doula whether the health insurance will reimburse us or not, but it feels good to advocate for this kind of coverage. (Not to mention pushing them to consider covering home births and birthing centers in the future, which are not currently an option . . . don't get me started on that.) Studies have shown that the presence of a doula, or professional labor support person, correlate with lower instances of costly medical interventions, so perhaps the economic rationale might appeal to the insurance provider?