Vancouver Doula (...and Slow Birth): 650

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

650

I completely missed it. I passed the six hundred and fifty baby mark a while ago, but didn't stop to think about how many babies that REALLY is... Well, they're not all babies now. Many are heading off to high school or university, but close to 70 wee ones are still waiting for their first birthday.

Photos arrive as each baby reaches his or her birthdays. Christmas cards arrive showing long-limbed children I hardly recognise. But I never forget a labour. Those flashbulb moments remain strong in my memory.

I can see the woman cry out, "I can't do it any longer!" I rubbed her back, and said, "You ARE doing it!" And she replied, "No, I mean, he's passed out and I can't hold him any longer!" Her dear husband had fainted while we'd been in the middle of an earthquake, and she had been holding him and pushing at the same time.

I can see another woman roaming Queen Elizabeth Park, squatting by trees, waiting for her husband to return from his final immigration hearing. I can see him running across the park towards us, calling, "I will be Canadian!"

I see myself in the backseat of a mini, holding a labouring woman, on the hottest day of the year. Her partner is driving us through the blistering streets. We pull up alongside a throbbing car. The man calls out, "Are you all weird or are you in labour?" We all laugh.

I see another woman hold open her oven door to check on the roast beef. In between contractions, she prepares Sunday dinner. We are told we can't leave for the hospital until we have all eaten. Yorkshire pudding and gravy included. The baby arrives 15 minutes after we step into the birthing room.

I see another woman, deep in labour, smiling as her contraction ends. "I love the breaks - they're just like the best cup of tea!" Her husband flies through the door, stripping off his clothes. "I fell through the ice!" he exclaims. (Long story)

These are only five moments out of the thousands of moments remembered in six hundred and fifty amazing births. Thank you for letting me be a witness to these births, and one of the guardians of these memories.

No comments:

Post a Comment

About Us

Jacquie Munro - Vancouver Doula

vancouverdoula@gmail.com

778-883-9851

I have been interested in birthing issues since I studied developmental psychology at UBC in the early 1980's, focusing on mother/child interaction and language development.

I put my studies to practical use during my two pregnancies, first with medical care (Sarah), then with midwifery care (Alex). After my inspirational experience with midwifery care, I worked to promote the registration of midwives in BC, and became involved in our local birthing community.

Over the next few years I became a Certified Childbirth Educator and, after teaching hundreds of couples, I tried out my own experiment, and attended the births of an entire prenatal class, just to see if it would make a difference - and it did! All those births were straight-forward and without complication. I was on to something! From then on, my focus began to shift toward providing support for couples throughout their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period. A doula had been born (even though it was years before the term "doula" was coined).

I've been the Coordinator for Vancouver Childbirth, taught prenatal classes with Vancouver Childbirth and Kwantlen College, helped to develop the Douglas College Doula Course, was DONA-certified doula #16, the BC DONA representative, developed a holistic childbirth education series for The Midwifery Group, and developed a Slow and Simple parenting series with Pacific Midwifery.

I work closely with my daughter, Sarah (see more info below), and your "birthing team" (midwives, family doctors, lactation consultants, and complementary caregivers), to provide the best care for families during the childbearing year. I stay current by attending 4-5 births a month, attending workshops and conferences, networking, reading and researching "best evidence" during every spare moment, as well as listening to my most willing teachers - our clients and their babies.

Since 1987, I have provided doula care to over 1020 women and their families at home and in the hospital, and have taught thousands of expectant parents. I currently work solely as a doula in private practice. (Just to let you know, baby #3 is living in Colorado with her little son, baby #10 is a classical pianist, baby #15 is working on his Masters at SFU, and baby #1021 is feeding happily at home with her mum and dad.)

Outside my life as a doula, I love to hug my ever-expanding family (including twin grandsons!), ride my road and Mamachari bikes daily, am a literary junkie, and slow travel with my husband.

Email me or call me and let's have a chat!

- Jacquie

Sarah Munro

Sarah Munro (BA Hons, MA, PhD student) is a Vancouver-based doula, breastfeeding counselor, and mother of twins who has been providing perinatal support for birthing women since 2007. Working with birthing families bridges her passions for childbirth, breastfeeding, and research. In addition to providing doula support, Sarah is pursuing her PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies in health services and bioethics, specifically: "Birth after a previous caesarean section: Health communication strategies to enhance decision making". She is a Child and Family Research Institute Trainee and Western Regional Training Centre for Health Services Research Trainee. She is honoured to be providing doula back-up for Jacquie.

Please check out the "Vancouver Doula" section below for more information about the care we provide.