to doula or not to doula

i had dinner with a girlfriend tonight who recently had a baby girl who is simply adorable! my friend shared with me her personal birthing experience and gave me lots of tips and suggestions on how to make my own birthing experience as...enjoyable?...as possible. she was GREAT. her outlook on her experience was extremely positive. dare i say it has made me more eager about my own upcoming experience? maybe that's stretching it a bit.

here's an interesting thing that came from our conversation...the idea of having a doula in the delivery room to help me and allan through the labor process. a doula has come to be referred to as "a woman experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the mother before, during, and just after childbirth." i have heard great things from friends who have had a doula at their side during labor. so, now the question is, "to doula or not to doula?"