Edward (Engels)

Edward’s Story

The benefits of our doula

There is no manual for how best to have a baby. And the prospect of having a baby in a foreign country can be a daunting one, regardless of how well you’ve mastered the language. So when my husband and I found out we were expecting a baby we did what we know best, research. We went about gathering as much information as we could about many different aspects of having a baby. However we quickly realized that preparing to have your first child cannot be reduced to lists and numbers. We wanted to make sure that we gave our baby the best entrance into the world that we possibly could. We spent quite a bit of time discussing our birth plan and agreed that we would like to include a doula in our plan if at all possible. A quick search led us to Gonny Cappers and a short phone call later we had scheduled our first meeting. From the moment Gonny walked into our house I felt a sense of calm. My husband and I discussed every aspect of our birth plan with Gonny. She made us feel at ease with our choices and encouraged us to consider many aspects of the birth we had not yet discussed. She was warm, open and very well informed and my husband and I were pleased to welcome her into our family. As our baby reached full term I was confident that we would face our baby’s birth with composure and grace.

The day Edward was born

The day my son was born started very early. The first contractions were short and very well spaced, but they pulled me out of sleep. After a short spell of napping my husband and I decided to welcome the morning in our living room. My husband readied the house and soon the lights were low, music played softly and we were ready to call Gonny. She arrived bright and early and was quickly helping me manage some back pain with some well placed acupressure. The morning brought ebbs and flows of contractions, and just as each wave in the sea makes a small mark on the sand on which it falls, each contraction was making its own mark on my body. I was able to breathe and sway through each wave and in between waves we looked at pictures and remembered other times in our lives that brought us joy. In the early afternoon Gonny encouraged me to spend some time in the shower. The warm water was wonderfully calming and soon the contractions were coming closer together. A quick visit from the midwife confirmed that everything was moving in the right direction and she would return in a few hours. For the next few hours I continued to breathe and sway through each wave and I increasingly relied on the closeness of my husband to carry me through. When the midwife returned she confirmed that I had continued to make good progress and at the same time my waters broke. My husband and I decided then that we would like to bring our son into the world at home. An hour later, my body was finally ready to bring forth my son. Amidst the bustle and climax of pushing I can still hear Gonny’s voice guiding me through the final moments, encouraging me to focus on my son. And as they laid him on my stomach she said, “Look at your beautiful son!” And with that, two became three.

That we were able to give my son the welcome we had so hoped for is a continuing source of joy for me. And there is no question that having Gonny’s support made it possible for us to stay at home and feel safe and secure in our decision. Even though it is one moment in our lives together, that his story starts with togetherness and love gives me hope that those will be common threads throughout his life.