Circumstances can change unexpectedly and our response can be just as surprising. In the early days of the pandemic, I, like everyone else on earth, watched the uncertainty of our futures come to an abrupt halt, unravel, and then slowly reintegrate into a temporary quilt of solutions.
In the early spring of 2020, I endured yet another quiet moment among many, when I opened the New Yorker Magazine and came across a story that changed it all. A story, complete with photo documentation, about a family in Brooklyn who had to change their birth plan from hospital to home. The birth pool in the kitchen, the toddler scampering around in the background, the partner giving comfort, the midwife at the helm, and the doula. This was the first time I learned of a birth doula and I needed to learn more!
As events and obligations diminished, misgivings escalated. We had no idea how long this pandemic would last and when the virus was coming for us but this story reminded me of how people persevere. Life actually goes on and the world still spins. Something shook me of my reticence and I decided to learn more so I could make change. I wanted to become a birth doula and began to take action.
My own children were at ages where they didn’t need the constant nurturing of mommy. My art career was in a holding pattern until further notice. My past (short) career as a Certified Surgical Technologist fostered the fascination for anatomy and physiology and how things work. It seemed like the key elements were in place; the ability to support people, creative problem solving, a fundamental understanding and deep appreciation of birth, and the desire to do something important. It took some circuitous navigating but I did it and have never looked back!
Comments