“The birth
of a child is celebrated, announced, even photographed – and rightly so!
But the birth of a mother happens in the
quiet.
Often in the early hours of the
morning, through worries thoughts and questions. I believe it’s time we celebrate and honour
that birth too”
Sarah Thorpe
Hi there! You might have read
a bit about me on my blog here,
and what I am passionate about. Now let me tell you a little more about
me. People often ask me how I got to being a postpartum doula. Let me tell you why I do what I do
and why I consider it such a special privilege to be invited into your homes at
such an important chapter in the story of your family's lives.
I have arrived to the role of Postpartum Doula as a response to
my own story. To me, when I had my little
girl Juno, it seemed like everyone else, all the other new Mama’s around me,
every single one of them, knew what they were doing and they had their shit entirely
together! I seemed to have stopped
reading everything, and I read EVERYTHING, exactly right after the point when
the baba was born. What else was there
to know, apart from breastfeeding, obviously?
I‘d heard about the lack of
sleep, sure. But you know what, I don’t
ever remember anyone telling me how with the change in hormones I might view
everything and everyone around me, and my place in the world, so
differently. I don’t ever remember
anyone telling me how teary I’d be, how sore my body would be, how high my emotions
would be and for how long it might be before they’d settle down. This is a tale for another day. I don’t remember anyone letting me in on the
secret of how absolutely totally exhausting it is to be the one person entirely responsible
for keeping this new baba alive whilst your Partner goes back to work to earn the
money to buy the food and pay the bills.
I’ve never told anyone except Mark until very very recently about the
lady that minded me for maybe an hour in the carpark of Tesco Ballybrack after
I’d had a panic attack having just bought swim nappies for a class I’d won that
I couldn’t remember entering the competition for. I’d never known you could be
so lonely and isolated whilst in and out of company most of the day. I’d never known what it was to feel so out of
control.
And do you know what, even if
anyone did tell me all these things, I’m not sure I’d have heard them.
The paradigm has shifted in
the years since Juno was born I’m almost certain. There is a much more honest landscape perhaps,
less pressure on women to “bounce back” to their pre-baba pre-motherhood lives. Is this true, or is it the perspective of my
bubble, the circles of people I run with I wonder?
You’ll hear me say often,
motherhood has changed me, even with all of my struggles and my lows, motherhood
has changed me for the better and has informed who I am today. And I like who I have become, the woman I am
today at 40. Being honest I’m not sure I’d
ever want to be my 30 year old self again.
To my mind I am a more patient, gentle, compassionate and measured woman than I
could ever have imagined of myself.
Knowing what I know now, I
hope to hold the hand of new parents to support you and ease your transition
in, be you a first or fifth time parent.
My ultimate goal is to support your transition to parenthood, to
motherhood, to help your transition be a little more smooth and gentle perhaps
than my own.
We can all do with extra help
in these very busy weeks and months adjusting. Raising baba's takes a village as the old
adage goes. The most difficult thing in it all is to ask for someone to help.
If you’d like to chat with me about how I can help and support you on your transition to parenthood do give me a call or text on 086 0438642 or pop
an email to sandy@communitydoulas.ie
Be well.
Sandy x
