So I am curious if you witnessed birth in real life before you attended your first birth as a doula?
I only saw one birth before I started my doula work...it was that of my now 3 year old niece. It freaked me out a bit but once I realized everything was ok it was AMAZING!
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Yes; other than my own (which I couldn't see very well myself), I saw my beautiful little niece stillborn. She was 32 weeks gestation; it was the most heart-wrenching, and yet beautiful experience (there's just no way to explain that). That was the first birth that I really saw and what started me on my doula journey. Jesica gave her Aunt Lori a gift, she did.
I assisted my sister at her birth in 2005. But I really was her doula, even if I was not officially trained or certified.
I helped her with breathing, relaxation & visualisation and rubbed her back. I walked her all around the neighbourhood and I got her rocking and doing pelvic tilts on a bean bag. So I really do think I was her doula not just an observer.
Only my own and it was the thing that started the obssession for me. I had a UC unexpectily at home and got horrible treatment when we arrived at the hospital. I will be writing her birth story in a couple months to celebrate our 5yr journey.
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[/color]bebo mia 416-363-2326 (BEBO)[/color] www.bebomia.com
well i guess it is sorta a yes and a no- i did seven births before i even knew what a doula was- i was just being invited to women whom i was close to births since i had had three natural births- they wanted that too and so they invited me to help them achieve it.
"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals". ~J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Yes, 7 counting my 2 own births, this was before I even thought about becoming a Doula!
I was present at my 2 young brothers homebirths (I was 7 & 9yrs old!). My father is an OB/GYN in Puerto Rico and after he "attended" my mom at home his cousin wanted a homebirth for her 2 kids...so we went along to "help" (her first was born at OUR home!)...so for those 4 I was a little girl. I grew up knowing birth was so normal and so part of life that I used to play that I was giving birth!!!
I had the great blessing to have my 2 baby girls all "natural"and at home , with my mom by my side.
Then a year and a half ago my friend asked me to help and be with her thru labor and birth...those are 7!
A year ago I decided to become a Doula and I did the DONA workshop on april'07!!! My mother wasn't too excited to hear about it (I think she is afraid I don't finish graduate school- Now that I'm in what I had LOVED all my life!). Well, last May in PUERTO RICO, they were celebrating the "Midwives & Doulas Month" and my mom assisted to a night activity honoring all this wonderful women. She called me near midnight all excited and in tears, thanking me for being her "doula" , even though I was a little girl! I was the only "other" woman there for her when she went through her own labor! I was very surprised and in tears too...hearing this words from my mother has meant the world to me, specially since we don't have the "best" relationship.
I LOVE BEING A DOULA!!!
__________________
BEATRIZ
Birth Doula, DONA trained
Student Midwife and **SINGLE** Mother to
Amanda Beatriz 12/5/1998
&
Adriana Isabel 24/9/2004
These 3 Members Say "Thanks!" to bcarrera For This Post:
Yes, 7 counting my 2 own births, this was before I even thought about becoming a Doula!
I was present at my 2 young brothers homebirths (I was 7 & 9yrs old!). My father is an OB/GYN in Puerto Rico and after he "attended" my mom at home his cousin wanted a homebirth for her 2 kids...so we went along to "help" (her first was born at OUR home!)...so for those 4 I was a little girl. I grew up knowing birth was so normal and so part of life that I used to play that I was giving birth!!!
I had the great blessing to have my 2 baby girls all "natural"and at home , with my mom by my side.
Then a year and a half ago my friend asked me to help and be with her thru labor and birth...those are 7!
A year ago I decided to become a Doula and I did the DONA workshop on april'07!!! My mother wasn't too excited to hear about it (I think she is afraid I don't finish graduate school- Now that I'm in what I had LOVED all my life!). Well, last May in PUERTO RICO, they were celebrating the "Midwives & Doulas Month" and my mom assisted to a night activity honoring all this wonderful women. She called me near midnight all excited and in tears, thanking me for being her "doula" , even though I was a little girl! I was the only "other" woman there for her when she went through her own labor! I was very surprised and in tears too...hearing this words from my mother has meant the world to me, specially since we don't have the "best" relationship.
I LOVE BEING A DOULA!!!
What a nice story Thanks for sharing
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Shawna Lewkowitz, M.Ed., CD (DONA), CPD(CAPPA), LCCE
and
very proud mama to 2 amazing little girls
This Member Says "Thanks!" to syncreo For This Post:
I love your story Beatriz. Wouldn't it be wonderful if more women could grow up thinking birth is natural and beautiful?
Your parents sound pretty neat.
__________________ Ronni CD(DONA) Mom to three grown daughters, Eileen(27), Laura(24), and Caroline(21), two teenage daughters, Rebecca(18) and Susannah(15) and two young sons, John(11) and David(8), all born at home Grandmother to Joshua who just turned 2!
This Member Says "Thanks!" to Ronni For This Post:
You know my answer. 
Lil' long...but had to tell my story
I grew up knowing birth was so normal and so part of life that I used to play that I was giving birth!!!
, with my mom by my side. 
My mother wasn't too excited to hear about it (I think she is afraid I don't finish graduate school- Now that I'm in what I had LOVED all my life!)
. Well, last May in PUERTO RICO, they were celebrating the "Midwives & Doulas Month" and my mom assisted to a night activity honoring all this wonderful women. She called me near midnight all excited and in tears, thanking me for being her "doula"
, even though I was a little girl! I was the only "other" woman there for her when she went through her own labor! I was very surprised and in tears too...hearing this words from my mother has meant the world to me, specially since we don't have the "best" relationship.
BEATRIZ
12/5/1998
24/9/2004
Quote:
Thanks for sharing 
who just turned 2!
