When my daughter Lorelei was born at home in 2012, my doula supported me and my partner through one of the most amazing experiences of our lives. Her calm, unwavering presence throughout my labour helped me, helped us, to trust in myself, my body and my baby. She protected my birth space and provided me with what I needed, mostly unspoken, whether it was water, a hand to squeeze, or an encouraging
word. She helped me to accept the pain of a long labour, rather than turn away from it; to move within it and allow it move my baby down and out. Throughout her time supporting us, her trust in me made me trust myself. It came as no surprise to me when, three months later, I knew I had to support other women like my doula had supported me. I felt so passionate about women's rights as birthing mothers, as new mothers, that becoming a doula felt like the natural extension of my politics and my personality. I trained with Mindful Doulas when my daughter was just a few months old; during those long naps and nursing sessions I read every birth-related title I could manage. I supported my first family in the spring of 2014, and eagerly look forward to working with many more. I support women, and their families, through the exhilarating, challenging, and amazing journey of pregnancy, birth, and the transition to parenthood. Throughout history, birthing women have been supported by other women, but often we live away from our families. In our modern Western world, mothers, babies and new families can be sidelined and their needs marginalised. I aim to bring back the social experience of birth and mothering, by making a woman and her needs, desires and feelings back the centre of my work. Mothers, and families, DO matter, and our early experiences of birth and parenting can set the tone for our futures. I hope to help make women feel safe, informed, and empowered. The evidence for doulas is overwhelming. One study (Hodnett et al, 2012) has shown that women supported by a doula had:
31% decrease in the use of labour augmentation
28% decrease in the risk of C-section
12% increase in the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth
9% decrease in the use of any medications for pain relief
14% decrease in the risk of newborns being admitted to a special care unit
34% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience
Beyond statistics, though, a doula's work of 'mothering the mother' creates an un-quantifiable ease with which to navigate birth, the early days of parenting, and beyond.
