The Doulas Must Be Crazy!

It's 4am and the strange, unfamiliar ringtone on my phone wakes me up. I always give my clients their own ringtone so that I know even in a half-sleep state that it is them calling and not a wrong number at 4am!

After ascertaining that my client is indeed in labour and encouraging her through a few strong contractions, I assure her that I am on my way. I get dressed, grab my doula bag and head downstairs to the door. Stopping only for a quick snack and a bathroom break, I hurriedly put on my coat and boots and kiss hubby (the phone call woke him up too!) and let him know I am off to a birth...again.

One thing I love about being called out at 4am is that the roads are empty. I practice as a doula on the quaint. little Canadian island that made Anne of Green Gables famous...Prince Edward Island. At this time of the morning, I may pass 5 cars in my one hour journey to my client's home. The moon is full, lighting the roads beautifully and I smile inwardly - not sure why but a full moon seems to bring the babies in larger numbers!

As I pull into the snow covered driveway, I can see only a few lights on in the house - the majority of the household has no idea that a baby is on the way! Mama is on the couch and after some encouragement, we start to walk around the house to get things moving again.

Doula is a greek word for 'slave' and I am there to literally be a slave to the mama in labour. Making tea, massaging her, encouraging her to move and use the bathroom, getting her food and keeping her as comfortable as possible is my top priority. While the doctors, nurses and midwives are concerned mostly with the actual birth and the baby itself, my priority is making sure that mama has a positive birth experience and stays on course.

Many people wonder why a doula does what she does...and enjoys it too! The answer is simple, we are a breed of women who LOVE birth and believe that birth is an empowering and life-changing event, whether it is the first or tenth time a woman is giving birth. I am not a subscriber of a 'goddess within' mentality but I believe that women were created for birth and that they are strong and beautiful in pregnancy and labour. This is the message I remind mama of when she is crying out in pain, her hair disheveled and her eyes looking at me to say, "I can't do this anymore".. My response is, " You ARE doing it and you are strong, beautiful and powerful. Trust your body, trust your baby, trust the birthing process". Many women who are seeking a natural birth while in the hospital seek me out because they want to avoid interventions like pain meds and epidurals.

The evidence for doulas is nothing short of amazing: Having a doula can shorten your labour, reduce the need for pain meds and decreases your risk of need a c-section. This article explains it more in depth https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/

So why did I become a doula? 2 reasons - I believe that EVERY woman should have the support she needs during pregnancy and labour. Continuous care throughout labour with someone who rarely leaves your side and is knowledgeable about labour and the birth process. Someone who can help you advocate for what you want in the hospital setting and is not as emotionally involved as a family member (although we do love you in our own way, we can stay clear headed because we are not family). Second reason is that I realized early on that although 27% of women said they wanted to have a doula during labour, only 6% actually did according a study done in 2012 (Declerq et al., 2013) Why? In most cases it was the cost of doula care. In some places in North America, it can cost upwards of $1,600 to have a doula attend your birth! In PEI it is much lower but still unaffordable for many women. I choose to work on a sliding scale and even accept a few births a year for teenage moms who cannot afford anything. Although some have said the province should cover the cost of a doula, I think the doula profession would be so over-regulated that it would not actually be in the best interest of the mother to have the province pay for it. So I am happy to offer my services on a sliding scale and I know that everything will work out.

So are we crazy? Yep. Crazy about birth. Crazy about offering natural solutions and encouragement to women in labour. Crazy about that look on the mamas' faces when they hold their baby for the first time. Just plain crazy...

Further reading:

http://americanpregnancy.org/labor-and-birth/having-a-doula/

Doulas do NOT replace your husband (partner), rather we help them to support you better and do what they can't