How to mother the mothers-to-be
Having your first baby can be daunting, but even more so if you are going through it alone. CATHERINE SCOTT looks at a scheme in Hull which teams women with birth partners.
WHEN Andrea Wilkinson's husband Gary walked out five weeks before her baby was due to be born, she didn't know how she would cope with the birth alone.
Her family live on the other side of the country and, although a very determined woman, she was frightened about the prospect of giving birth to her first child by herself. But she was lucky.
Andrea, 37, lives in an area of Hull which operates a volunteer doula scheme. Doulas are a highly dedicated team of women who give up their time to give emotional and physical support to expectant mothers who have no, or inadequate, help. For Andrea it turned out to be a life saver.
"I had five weeks to go and my husband left me unexpectedly," she says. "Suddenly I was on my own and heavily pregnant. My family were miles away and I had the prospect of giving birth by myself.
"I was quite freaked out and was unsure how the whole thing would pan out. My circumstances changed so quickly. I was still hoping my husband would be there at the birth but I couldn't be sure and I really needed to know there would be someone with me when the time came.
"I'd heard about the doula scheme through a friend of mine who had benefited from it. My midwife was part of the scheme and we talked about it and she referred me."
The Newland and Avenues Sure Start-run project put Andrea in touch with recently trained doula Sharon Young.
Sharon, who has two children of her own, Megan, eight, and Jack, 12, was a constant physical and emotional support for Andrea. She visited her at home twice a week in the run-up to the birth and was at the end of a mobile phone if Andrea needed her no matter what time of day or night.
"I saw an advert for the volunteer doula scheme in the local paper. Both my children were at school and I have always been interested in pregnancy and birth."
Sharon embarked on a training course put together by project co-ordinator Heather Barnes, Sure Start midwife Sallie Ward and community development co-ordinator Reka Pataky.
The course consists of a two-day Active Birth Course and six 22-hour sessions which cover areas such as water births, drug awareness, domestic violence and child protection.
But, as Heather Barnes explains, one of the most important things is getting the right doula for the right mother.
"We have 21 volunteer doulas with a variety of backgrounds and ages. It is a massive commitment for them and they are all fantastically dedicated to the mothers they have been supporting," says Heather.
"We spend a lot of time with them and get to know them well and try to match them as best we can looking at age and background and, of course, personality."
In the case of Andrea and Sharon the match seems to be a good one, they joke as if old friends.
When Andrea went into labour, Sharon spent the first 15 hours at home with her. "We had talked about a birth plan and it was just brilliant to have another woman with me who was independent and who I knew would be there for me no matter what."
In the end Gary was at the birth, at Hull Royal Infirmary some 36 hours after Andrea went in to labour, but Sharon was outside the operating theatre in case she was needed.
"It was great to have her there. In the end there were complications and Georgia was delivered using forceps and they thought I might have to have a caesarean, but the three of us were able to talk over the options and it was so helpful having someone there who had some knowledge of what was going on. It was a positive experience for all of us," said Andrea.
Georgia was born healthy weighing 8lb 12oz.
After four days in hospital, Andrea returned home with Georgia and if it hadn't been for Sharon, it would have been to an empty house with a new- born baby.
"The package of aftercare is brilliant. For six weeks Sharon would visit me twice a week and if I needed her more, I knew she was on the end of the phone.
"Just knowing she was there was so important and knowing that a couple of times a week someone would be dropping in as well as the midwife and health visitor to answer the list of questions I had. For anyone having a new baby can be isolating but especially if you are on your own.
"I am a pretty determined person and I knew that I would cope by myself but it has improved my confidence to have someone to check things with."
Georgia is now 13 weeks and a contented baby who hardly ever cries. She sees her father regularly, but Andrea is coping well as a single-parent. Andrea is so impressed and grateful to the doula scheme that next year she plans to train as a volunteer herself.
"The scheme provided me with support that was crucial at a very difficult time."
For Sharon it was her first "birth" and she found it very rewarding. "It was very emotional and a very positive experience. It's been brilliant. It's a fantastic scheme."
For the doulas it is a huge commitment. Like expectant fathers, they can't really have a drink from the time the baby is expected until it arrives because they may have to take the mum to hospital and often act as their birthing partner.
Heather is delighted with the success of the scheme which has so far seen 16 new arrivals and another five expected shortly.
"We have had lots of positive feedback from the volunteers, the mums who have been supported and the results of the births have reflected this," she says.
"We have had a very low incidence of medical intervention at births attended by doulas and high rates of breastfeeding.
"I am completely passionate about this scheme and would like to see it extended to the entire city. It's wonderful to have a job I'm passionate about."
The scheme, which is available to women in the HU5 area of Hull, has funding until March next year, but Heather is hopeful its success will confirm its funding for the future.
catherine.scott@ypn.co.uk
The care-giver
Doula (pronounced doola) is a Greek word meaning "woman servant or care-giver". It now refers to an experienced woman who offers emotional and practical support to a woman (or couple) before, during and after childbirth. A doula believes in "mothering the mother" – enabling a woman to have the most satisfying and empowered time that she can during pregnancy, birth and the early days as a new mum. This type of support also helps the whole family to relax and enjoy the experience.
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