Connection, compassion, gentleness, a kind word, a quiet presence, calm and caring support… these are some of the ways love shows up in birth’s journey. And love matters. Love supports the very process of birth. Love is key in birth’s outcomes. And love is part of the difference that a doula makes.
When I read this quote (below) from Tao Te Ching, written hundreds of years ago, I can’t help but think of how well it describes doula work as well:
You are a midwife assisting at someone else’s birth. Do good without show or fuss. Facilitate what is happening rather than what you think ought to be happening … When the baby is born the mother will rightly say, “We did it ourselves!”
Welcome to ‘The Gentle Journey’. I hope you will pour yourself a cup of tea, sit down and join me as I share thoughts, inspiration and more from my work as ‘The Gentle Doula’.
“So,” you may ask, “what exactly is a doula?” That’s a good question! So many words come immediately to mind: companion, helper, friend, guide, listener, assistant, cheerleader…
“The feeling of strength and empowerment that comes from a birth where the birthing person says ‘I did it’ is unlike any other.”
In my last blog post, I talked about the beauty of a birth where the birthing person feels strong and empowered. This can happen in any circumstance, with any type of birth. It can (and does) even happen when the birth plan goes out the window and the unexpected happens. How can this be?
When I read this quote (below) from Tao Te Ching, written hundreds of years ago, I can’t help but think of how well it describes doula work as well:
You are a midwife assisting at someone else’s birth. Do good without show or fuss. Facilitate what is happening rather than what you think ought to be happening … When the baby is born the mother will rightly say, “We did it ourselves!”
The baby blues, postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety… these are all part of the range of postpartum mood disorders that affect more than one in five birthing people in Canada. Changing hormones, lack of sleep, adjusting to life with baby and underlying predispositions to depression or other mood disorders can all contribute to this statistic.
Welcome to 2021. A new year has begun, but we are still grappling with the pandemic… and the disruption to much that we consider ‘normal’ in our lives. While doula work here in Ontario continues to be affected by the restrictions, the benefits of having a doula are still very real. In this post we’ll take another look at just how working with a doula can make a difference for you and your loved ones.
