What is a doula? Taken from DONA website:
[a doula is] a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to a mother before, during and shortly after childbirth to help her achieve the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible
https://www.dona.org/what-is-a-doula/
I knew we needed support during my pregnancy and delivery, someone to help us advocate and give us recommendations and advice, someone to help us when labor started so a doula was a definite need for me. I did a lot of researching and looking, and following of Facebook posts and it was from a Facebook page I saw the advert from Muna Habib, she would be near to us and looked friendly!
Initial gut feelings mean a lot to me, I do judge – I judge whether I feel comfortable or not with someone. I judge whether they will be a good fit for me and my husband; would this person support or over ride us?Would this person get on with us? Would this person be able to talk the “professional lingo” for my husband and the more “relaxed lingo” for me? Would this person be someone I’d be willing to have in my home when I am my most vulnerable?
Muna fitted all of those, and after we met her around week 12 on August 7th 2019, I left the coffee shop and said “I want her!” I had no doubts.
Muna was contactable at all times, she went over and above with meeting us, texting me, providing me with researches about birthing options, birth plan templates, healthy eating, exercise, things we needed. If she was out of town she organised for someone else to be on call should I need anything.
I remember clearly when she arrived at my birth, it was a relief for someone to take over from my husband and speak to our midwife on the phone to be able to say something other than “she’s pushing! Trying not to I think!” Things happened quickly on the day, a phone call at 6am (I think) to say get here ASAP! I missed out on using her Tens Machine.
I have no words to express how thankful we were to Muna – instead we let her cut the cord. Neither of us were particularly interested in doing that, but it was a lot of pleasure letting Muna cut her first cord at her first home birth.
We are both thrilled that she has now been accepted onto a Midwifery degree course as we know she will be a fantastic midwife.
The Gordon's Miscellany 