The Green Generation

It's Earth Day today! And it's Isola's and Milo's birthdays, too! They are just two of my client's babies who are part of the "Green Generation." My hope is that they will grow up with the smallest carbon footprints possible. I think they're pretty special one year olds, so they might be able to do it and be worthy of the title.

Now is the time.

So, am I, as a doula, "green?" I try to work with clients who live within a small area. I can walk home from both birthing hospitals. In labour, I help clients in their own homes, usually arriving on foot or on a bike. I help clients stay out of the hospital system for as long as possible, while remaining connected to their caregivers by phone. My clients rarely need IVs, epidurals, drugs, or any major assistance. My clients often go home as soon as possible (or birth at home with midwives). The majority of my clients are able to breastfeed successfully, and don't need to buy bottles or formula. Most of my clients use cloth diapers (well...at least during the daytime!) They also need less future counseling as a result of their positive experiences.

Think of the cost savings, the environmental savings! That's what I call a "green birth!"

We might wash some of those savings down the drain with the amount of hot water that my clients use in labour...(but SHHH don't tell anyone!)

That's probably a small price to pay for the long-term joy that an amazing birth brings to a family.

And I discovered today that there's a residual "green" impact. Today, Isola's mum called me up on her daughter's birthday, and we both started to cry as she thanked me for all the help that I gave her during her pregnancy and birth. Think of the long-term ramifications of a "green birth" on her and her daughter, and her family!

This mother will always tell her daughter stories of her joyful undisturbed birth, and this little girl will probably have a "green birth" in her future. She's truly part of the "Green Generation."

So, Happy Earth Day! Wear some green!

- Jacquie Munro, Vancouver Doula, Slow Birth, Slow Planet