How Birth Work Chose Me
- yachlim
- Mar 29, 2024
- 2 min read
I have always been fascinated by birth. As a teenager, I would watch the few unbanned birth videos available on YouTube, mesmerized by how incredibly strong these women were, how peacefully it all seemed to unfold.
Looking back, I was lucky to have been unphased by the dramatized Hollywood depictions of birth: rushing into the hospital at the last minute, mom screaming as the baby practically falls out of her the moment they get up the stairs. I knew that birth could be so much more, I could feel it.
I loved that birth took over a woman and her space, that it made her focused, determined, and eventually, a mother. I knew that with birth, came pain. But for whatever reason, that never scared me.
For many years, my passion for birth stopped there. I thought the only way I could be a part of that work was to become a nurse or give birth myself, neither of which were on the cards anytime soon. Then I discovered doula work.
The knowledge that I could be there, holding women, helping them throughout this monumental transformation, struck a chord deep inside me.
The more I learned about our birthing system, about how women are treated at birth, and how they are left to fend for themselves before, during, and after lit a fire in me. I simply could not shake the feeling that I needed to be a part of changing women’s lives. I longed for the connection and intimacy that came with serving the women in my community.
Once I moved to Alexandra, Virginia, I delved into educating myself. I took the appropriate doula courses, learned about the science of childbirth and the comfort measures needed to guide women through labor. But doula work is so much more than that.
I analyzed my own birth, the birth of my partner, of my twin sister. I listened to women’s birth stories from 2 years ago and 20 years ago. It feels impossible to overestimate the impact of one’s birth experience.
Being able to call myself a doula is a privilege. It has opened up my heart and introduced me to a work of advocacy, empathy, and connection.
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