Saturday, January 24, 2009

Get Support - Hire a Doula

Yesterday I was very excited to learn that www.naturalchildbirth.org had picked up my previous blog on the home birth and posted it on their blog! I have recently become a registered member of their organization (at no cost). It is a great website and forum for all aspects of pregnancy and birth. What a great way to network with other professionals as well as expectant mothers. Get ideas and support from a wide variety of people. Check out the site.

It all goes along with my belief that women need support and encouragement in every stage of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Women have been helping other women for thousands of years. There is no shame in asking for help or support. I believe that more women would choose to have a natural birth if they could have an advocate, such as a doula, there to encourage and comfort them. The absence of support can lead to the presence of fear or thoughts of "I cannot do this anymore".

Think back to when you were a child. Remember when you would fall on the sidewalk while you were playing outside and cry like the world was ending? Who was there to comfort your boo boo? Most likely it was your mother. She would kiss it and instantly you would be out running and playing again or getting back up on that bicycle. Mom was there to assure you that it was okay and if it happened again she would be right there to pick you up. This is how I view my role as a doula. I am there to encourage you and support you in your birth when you think or feel as though you "can't go on", because you CAN!

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