Skin-to-Skin: A Doula's Duty
Last week was World Doula Week
A whole week to celebrate and empower the dedication and service of doulas to expectant mothers across the globe. They really deserve a month.
I know the moms I have photographed who used a doula speak volumes of love toward their doulas. As a birth photographer, I love them. They are the greatest partner when it comes to your birth. For both you and me.
Not only do they offer a level of expertise for a supportive and comfortable birth, they serve as a voice for you. By my observation, the best way to describe what a doula does is to call her an event coordinator/birth assistant/personal assistant/cheerleader/counselor/masseur/yogi/nanny/... I could go on! Doula's do so much to support parents of new babies before, during, and after birth.
Recently, the internet raged when a mom shared her hospital bill for skin-to-skin contact after a C-section, and a doula replied. Her reply was spot on. (You can read her reply right here). Just before her post went viral, I captured these photographs that spoke of exactly what she wrote on her post.
Tonya, a doula with Right Hand Doula Services in DFW, spent over an hour holding this mother's baby so she could breastfeed and have that skin-to-skin contact after her C-section. Due to the anesthesia, she could not hold her baby herself. The hospital will not permit you to hold your baby without help until you have fully recovered simply to keep the baby safe. Without hesitation, her doula stepped up to the task. It was midnight, and she had been awake all day, but she stood by the mama's side tirelessly holding that infant to his mother's breast.
My favorite thing to capture as a birth photographer is the love that radiates in people's faces. There's so much of it at a birth! In every photograph I have even captured of a mother's doula, their face radiates with love, care, and concern. They love you and your new baby just as much as your family.
The next time you are planning the birth of a child, look into the services a doula provides. Having a doula by your side is as comforting as knowing your birth photographer will capture all the moments you might miss.
If you want to be sure your doula's love is captured during your birth, call me! I'd love to capture that special relationship!