I believe the most important part of pregnancy and birth is to trust in your own instincts and having care providers that believe in you, your body, and your baby. I have been honoured in attending births for over 20 years, as well as the birth of my own three babies.
I was always Doula, as young as I can remember.
The first birth I ever attended was my eldest daughter, at 18 years of age.
In the next few years I would be asked by other young moms to be their “birth coach” and I would support them during their pregnancies, birth, and postpartum. All I knew is that I loved helping people, I really loved newborns, and attending birth was the greatest honour in the universe!! Many of these women did not have the kind of support I was fortunate to have, and holding that space for them was the least I could do.
The Endorphins that Changed Everything (AKA –my “I AM A DOULA” moment)
We are made for this. Our bodies and our babies know exactly what they are doing when it comes to birth and with the right support system in place, we can have the births we truly desire. Once submerged in training, I realized that everything I had always believed in physiological birth and even my own birthing capabilities was true.
A close friend of mine had been having a fairly rough first pregnancy when she asked me to support her during the upcoming birth of her son. I was more than honoured to say the least.
After breathing through every single sensation with her that afternoon and evening, into the early hours of the morning, she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.
It was 4:30am when I finally arrived home and was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, filled with those magical endorphins once again when I heard my grandmother’s voice in my head say, “So, are you going to do this already, or what?!” And that was it; the moment I knew I was a Doula.
Three very different births
My first birth was as lovely as a hospital birth could be with my loving mom and my then partner by my side.
Fast forward 19 years later and the birth of my second baby, also in the same hospital. I had wanted and ‘asked’ to do a home water birth, but was told I wasn’t able to. Little did I know it was my choice all along had I known to find a care provider to trust my natural ability to birth my baby the exact same way I did with my first. That birth experience ended up being quite traumatic for not only me, but my husband and my mom. I am grateful for my own instincts and the belief in myself as I gave birth to my baby despite the lack of trust from my care providers.
This past year, I gave birth to my 3rd baby at home in a birth pool with my husband, just as we had dreamed. No one questioned my power to birth my baby just as I had my other two. They simply trusted me and my birth process, and my mom was there to witness once again, with love.
I am, Mama Love
My inner voice speaks to me. I still pinch myself every day that this is the work I was born to do. I look forward to honouring you and your partners and loved ones in your upcoming pregnancy and birth.
