Following approval from the human subjects institutional re-
view board at Western Michigan University, the sample for
this study was solicited through a local agency in southwest-
ern Michigan that offers childbirth classes and doula services.
Purposeful sampling (used when researchers wish to under-
stand a particular phenomenon)12 was used to recruit partic-
ipants via e-mail invitations and an advertisement on a social
networking site. Invitations outlined the purpose of the study,
listed inclusion criteria, and provided contact information for
the study coordinator. To be included, participants had to be
aged between 18 and 55 years, speak and read English, and
have had at least one hospital birth followed by at least one
planned home birth within the previous 10 years.