,No one should birth alone', says Helen - the Birth companions coordinator during our training.
This resonates with me and why I decided to become a doula years ago.
Doula takes role of a mother for women who haven't got theirs near by. We prepare women for a calm happy birth, we stay with them during the birth of their baby and help with whatever is needed afterwards. We are breast feeding supporters too.
The most rewarding doula work we do is under the umbrella of Neighbourhood doulas. We are doulas local to Ladbroke grove, London. We get women referred to us by various agencies or friends.
We usually meet our women at the Rugby Portobello trust, as one of our doula volunteers - Kirstin - works there as the Magic mums coordinator. Magic mums is a parenting group run by Claire Standring, but really it is much more then that. Women get a lunch, those in need get a bag of food to take home with them. The Rugby Portobello trust also has a baby and children's items swap - mothers donate items of equipment, clothes, books, toys. Mothers who need them can take those home. No questions asked, no referrals needed.
Magic mums are a community, pregnant women and mothers can get support with various issues they may be facing. They get referred to educational courses too. Claire is magic. Her attention and empathy is a key to the groups longevity and women's trust.
Some Magic mums attend various classes at Westway - ESOL, Teaching assistant courses, Community reporters course. I am one of them :o)
The last mum we supported gave birth the first week of February. We met her before Xmas. She is a young woman from a country in Africa. Her birth had to be induced, we were able to be with her continuously from Tue till Thu when her beautiful baby girl was born. She didn't know until the birth where she was going to be housed.
She is now happily settling in a lovely refuge for women and babies.
We feel very privileged to be trusted to be there at the most intimate and vulnerable moment in women's lives.
We love the work we do.
If you would like to volunteer with the Magic Mums at Rugby Portobello Club, please contact Catherine Moss - djmoss@btinternet.com
Karolina
www.calendoula.co.uk
http://www.birthcompanions.org.uk
doula - a woman who gives support, help, and advice to another woman during pregnancy and during and after birth