Our job as doulas is very hands on. When we support people in labor we join them at home or at their birthing location. We hug, hold hands, rub shoulders or backs or hands or feet. Sometimes we help feed clients or hold hair while they throw up. It is an intimate relationship we have in these moments. Being present and holding space while our clients’ bodies transform and their lives are changed permanently. Not being able to do this part of our job is heart wrenching.
When we are hired by our clients, a bond is formed. Trust is established. We spend weeks or months creating a rapport. Birth preferences are determined. Plans are made. Now some of that has been taken from us. Clients are devastated. We are devastated. We are doulas because we love the work we do. We call it a labor of love because truly it is.
Now when our clients call us in labor we help them stay focused using gentle reminders, visualization, providing affirmations, and guiding their partner. In some ways this brings a closer intimacy between our clients and their partner. For others, they are lost and scared. We honor, respect, and understand that there is a wide range of emotions involved.
We are resilient. All of us. We are all finding ways to adapt to our current life circumstance. We are all making sacrifices during this time and doing the very best we can. As we continue through these uncertain times lets find ways to forgive our imperfections and compassion for those around us.