What inspires you to do this work?
Doula is a word coined from the ancient Greek meaning Woman Slave. Many have changed this to Woman Servant due to the connotations of the word slave. What inspires me is this meaning. To serve is to love. To be of service to others. I choose to be of service to Mothers.
Do you believe there is too much pressure on Mothers to be ‘strong, independent and bounce back’? Yes I do. There’s too much societal ideas on how a Mother should be able to do it all, on her own. This is not reality, we need our village, a community and we need to change these beliefs if we want a healthy and mentally well future for our children.
My belief is that the sacred PP period has a direct impact on the future health and wellness of the child, not just the Mother, through to adolescence.
I believe the Mother goes through a significant depletion during pregnancy and postpartum that needs to be focused on, replenishing. This does not take six weeks! It can take up to two years for the body to physically recover from pregnancy and birth. This depletion can have direct influence on the Mothers mental health and wellbeing – Gut Health = Mind Connection.
The most important things a Mother should feel is simply Peace and Joy.
This is what’s important to me. To support this huge transition for the whole family. To help bring Peace and Joy to the Mother so all she needs to focus on is loving her new baby and family unit. In turn, she may learn the skills and gain the confidence to help other Mothers in the future.
At the end of the day, what difference are you trying to make in Mothers care?
To support a Mothers transition and journey into parenthood to help her be the best she possibly can. Mentally, physically and spiritually. To allow her to grow the courage and strength to support other Mothers in the future too.
To make a difference in families lives by bringing love and support.
To be able to show new mums that raising a newborn is hard but with the right support you can get through.
I want to leave a legacy of courage and belief in themselves in every mother that I support so she in turn can pass this knowledge on.
Should all families consider postpartum support?
Yes! We all need support at certain stages of life. I feel the postpartum transition could be the greatest time in life when support is most needed.
Matriesence may just be the greatest transition a Woman will ever go through. The imbalances hormonally, mentally, physically and spiritually are far greater than adolescence/puberty or Menopause. This can affect the whole family.
It is said that if the Mother experiences mental health challenges there is a 50% increased risk of the partner also experiencing mental ill health. As a Doula I am there for the whole family, Mother first.
Statistics have shown the greatest cause of death in Mothers postpartum is suicide. Every year over 100,000 families across Australia experience mental health challenges in pre and post natal.
1/5 new mothers and 1/10 new fathers will experience postpartum depression and or anxiety. Studies have also shown that Fathers of baby girls who suffer from postpartum depression have a 80% chance of their daughters suffering depression in their teenage years. As a Doula I am there to support and help with the load.
How am I different? Why choose me? If you are considering support for your postpartum period, then reach out. Lets meet for a chai and chat. You can decided if I’m right for you and your family unit. Most importantly am I inline with your own family values and principals?
CONTACT ayudoulacare@gmail.com – 0402683294 – ayudoula_postpartum
be nurtured and nourished into motherhood
ayudoula postpartum Care 