Birth Memory

Shared by: Erin Cullen

When I became pregnant two and a half years ago, my entire outlook on life shifted.  I loved being pregnant; loved the way that I felt, and loved the excitement I had for the future.  Both my two brothers and I had been born at home, and I think my mom really instilled the beauty of birth in me – I remember being shown my brother’s placenta after he was born, and the whole process seemed really natural and calm.  And this is partly why I think my pregnancy was such a positive experience, and my daughter’s birth, as well.

That being said, I realize that every pregnancy and birth is very different – every circumstance, and every perceived notion of how things are going to be comes from a very different place, and that is what makes it beautiful, and sometimes, frightening.  The more stories I have heard from women, the more I’ve realized how much the birth process really affects those involved.  It is a memory that does not fade, and for some can be very traumatizing or hurtful.  It is because of all this that the idea of being a doula became so appealing.  To be able to help make the experience more positive, and to help the family feel more empowered – what could be better than that?

The more I learn about doulas, the more important their role became.  Taking the course [editor’s note: DONA International’s birth doula training] also introduced me to such a wonderful and diverse range of women – it feels like a really warm and open community and that is hard to find sometimes.  I really believe that being a doula would be a fulfilling, exciting and interesting job – the very thing I have been searching for in a career.  It would be rewarding to know that I was helping a family have a great first experience – a great head start.