Revelstoke Doula - Robyn Hooper

05/25/2022

Love this post - it’s exactly how I feel as a doula too ☺️

Repost I Won’t Hold Your Baby

…unless you ask me to, in which case, I will snuggle and cuddle your baby as much as you want me to.

I never ask my clients if I can hold their baby. In fact, I rarely ever touch my client’s baby if I can help it. Sounds sort of like the opposite of what you might picture of a doula, right? We must all be birth crazy, baby obsessed women who just want to cover babies in kisses and love and get an emotional high from attending births?

Not this doula.

I LOVE attending births. Call me crazy, but getting those middle of the night calls is one of my favorite parts of this job. I get to listen to someone at their most vulnerable times- the excitement, the hesitation, the nervousness of the unknown. Being able to provide some comfort, reassurance and continuity of care to the people I work with is so important to me (and them!)

Rushing off in the night, quietly getting myself ready, getting in the car and heading off to their home or hospital makes me feel like I’m on a secret birth mission that nobody around me knows about. When I arrive I fall as seamlessly as I can into the rhythm of the birth and start supporting my clients in whatever way they need most.

When the baby arrives I step aside and leave room for the new parents to discover their baby. I try and grab some photos (I’m not a birth photographer though, so keep your expectations in check!) and then I only step in if my client needs me for some reason.

Why does that matter? Why won’t I ask to hold your baby? Simply because: they are yours, not mine. I want you to be able to hold your baby as close as you want, for as long as you want without anyone interrupting that time. There will be enough people coming along in the next few hours and weeks who need to take that baby out of your arms for whatever reason, and tons of friends and family who will offer help by “holding the baby”.

Instead, I want to hold you, whether that’s in my arms, in my heart or my thoughts. By supporting and “holding” you, I don’t need to hold your baby. But if you ask me to, I would LOVE to.

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05/06/2022

Thank you midwives !

“We do not arrive in this world with a smile. We arrive with a scream. A declaration to all and everyone that I AM HERE. Midwives not only guide new life into the world, they help ensure that the voice of the next generation is heard.”

To all the midwives all over the world, thank you for keeping families from Kyiv to Kinshasa, Portland to Port au Prince, Halifax to Hope, Sturgeon Lake to Somalia to South Sudan - safe and healthy, every single day, in every single way. Your work continues to inspire us all. Happy International Day of the Midwife 💗

05/19/2021

Want to be a Doula? Check out this fantastic course now offered ONLINE!! Heather is an amazing instructor:

Use the form on the right to contact us. If you have any questions or would like to host any of our workshops in your area please get in touch! 

04/11/2021

04/06/2021

There are three steps to get vaccinated. Register, make an appointment and get the vaccine. Help your family and friends register!

01/09/2021

Online prenatal classes 😊

Learn practical skills for a positive childbirth experience and early care of the newborn.

12/04/2020

What are some good positions for labour? There are so many! It was fun to be a part of this short video by Mommy Berries Health (a Kelowna Physio):

Labour and birth positions. I recommend practicing being in a variety of positions so that you are ready for anything. There are many options and they each h...