The new reality (Copy)

If I look at how things are right now, we have really gone through something that was very uncertain and for a long time too. For those of us who were expecting our bundles of love and gave birth 2019 onwards felt the wrath for real. When my little boy Levi was 4 months old, the first lockdown hit the Netherlands and the world literally shut down. How was it as a doula providing the same kind of support to clients where restrictions were rife and couples still needed support?

The new reality demands we adjust in all capacities including birth workers. I love to support in person usually as we build relationships and emotions shared on a 1-1 human level bear some impact. However, the new reality demands that we support from a distance now and so many have been tested on their capability to adapt and make do even in the most surreal circumstances

See.. for the last 4 years, I have been supporting couples from a distance. It started with a couple i supported through HypnoBirthing in my house one spring afternoon. They were booked in the Hague, a hospital birth because of maternal age and other medical reasons. The sessions went really well. I had given them 1 session in their own home to get to know them first and also to plan how to best support them. My support is customized..I like to come and meet the family so i can plan my end

Comfort measures - her husband was intentional in making her comfortable through the process

Anyway.. the second session was booked at my house. They drove from The Hague to me in Leiden. They both came. It was a lovely session. We all connected very well. Her husband was not only curious so he had loads of questions.. he was away at sea most of the time, so felt he needed a way to get in the partner’s role when he was around. They meditated together and bonded too

On the day of contractions.. i remember receiving a whatsapp message from her. ‘I have a feeling she is coming, she wrote..but i am not sure why i feel anxious suddenly, she concluded’. We did a fear release session over the phone, spoke about where her fears derived from, how her husband feels etc. That night, her body went into full labor and by the time she transferred to hospital, she birthed her little girl in x time