Birth for Humankind‘s doula service becomes a lifeline to women who otherwise would have little to no support during this critical time.
Recruited and trained to provide specialised support, their doulas support women who experience many barriers and challenges in accessing maternal health services.
They support women from refugee, new migrant and asylum seeker backgrounds to understand their rights, work with interpreters and navigate the maternal health system.
“We have been less than five years living in Australia. We’re not familiarised with the health system in this country and it’s very different to ours. My doula is an angel sent to us in this difficult time to give us support, trust and confidence in our journey.” – Elsy, 29
They support women experiencing homelessness or family violence to attend antenatal appointments and feel safe and supported.
“I was living in a refuge during my pregnancy. I was so scared because I didn’t know anything about birth and labour, but after talking to Birth for Humankind and hearing more information about pregnancy and birth I feel better and more ready to do it.” – Jamilah, 23
They support young women, who often feel judged when they try and access maternal health services, to get the information they need to make informed choices about their health.
“My birth experience was going down a dark path and my doula helped me turn it all around. She gave me the confidence to push through the hardest parts of pregnancy and birth.” – Carly, 19
With the support of Birth for Humankind’s doulas, women like Elsy, Jamilah and Carly feel less isolated, less alone, more confident and more prepared to birth their babies into the world.
A supported, respected and empowered mother means reduced stress during pregnancy and labour, better connections between mother and baby and improved health outcomes for whole families.
And that’s how this work can change the world.
This World Doula Week, Birth for Humankind is raising moolah for doulas to support pregnant women across Melbourne who would otherwise have little to no support. Can you help them? Visit their mycause page for more information about their work and to donate.
