Gift of life: meet the doulas guiding vulnerable women through childbirth
In the suburbs of Melbourne, a group of selfless volunteers help vulnerable women navigate the challenges of pregnancy and childbirth. And they have more than 500 healthy babies to show for their work.
Carly Lord was 19 years old and had just moved to Victoria when she discovered she was pregnant. The teenager was mourning her mother, who’d recently passed away, and living in a new city a long way from family and friends. There was no one to wrap her in the love she needed to get through one of life’s biggest journeys.
During a hospital check-up, a social worker suggested to Carly that a doula (a skilled birth support worker) might be able to provide the comfort and care she craved.
“I didn’t even know what a doula was – it was a totally foreign concept to me,” says Carly, reflecting on those anxious months before she gave birth to Huxley, now eight. “It’s scary enough being pregnant, let alone when you’re young or have no support. It was a really challenging time and it was so isolating, not knowing anyone and not having had any exposure to pregnancy or birth.”
In a somewhat serendipitous moment, Carly was introduced to
Mei Lai Swan, a doula-in-training who volunteered at Melbourne’s
Royal Women’s Hospital, providing support to vulnerable women during their pregnancies. It was a Sliding Doors meeting that changed both of their lives.
With Mei Lai’s support, Carly gave birth to her healthy baby, and both mother and son thrived. For Mei Lai, the experience with Carly cemented her belief that a doula can empower women who are vulnerable or facing disadvantage at this critical time in their lives.
“Having the experience with Carly made me see how important this service was,” she explains. “That came from the strength of our relationship and what a joy it was for me to work with her and help her. I came away thinking it had been such a positive experience, I was sure there’d be other doulas who would love to be able to support someone in this way, particularly knowing there are a lot of women who need it. And that was how Birth for Humankind was born.”
Mei Lai set to work gathering a team of volunteers, and today Birth for Humankind is thriving. Since its inception back in 2014, more than 120 volunteer doulas have provided comfort, guidance and support to more than 500 vulnerable women.
Faiza and Wali’s story
Faiza Basheer, 30, and her husband Muhammed arrived in Australia in December 2018, hopeful of building a new life. The young couple had already suffered a miscarriage back in Pakistan, but four months after settling into a new home in Melbourne, they were overjoyed to hear the news that Faiza was pregnant again.
Sadly Faiza suffered a second devastating miscarriage, and this time she was far away from family support.
“The miscarriage was a terribly painful experience for me,” says Faiza,
– Faiza whose first language is Urdu, “but five weeks after my miscarriage, my doctor sent me for a test which revealed I was already pregnant again. I was very scared to have another pregnancy and I felt very alone.”
Adding to an already anxious time for Faiza was the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic – her baby was due while Victoria was undergoing the uncertainty of lockdown.
A nurse referred Faiza to Birth for Humankind, where she was introduced to volunteer doula Maison Levot. Maison played a vital role, helping Faiza navigate our complex health system. And as Faiza and her husband weren’t confident about attending birth classes, Maison provided them with personalised prenatal education.
“Thankfully we met before the lockdowns started and we were able to spend time together face to face, which was incredibly helpful,” says Maison, who has volunteered her time to support six other women through their birthing journey. “It’s hard
“Maison helped me at my most vulnerable time.”
enough to be pregnant in a new country, away from family and friends, but adding the pandemic to the situation made it a very frightening time for many women – particularly for someone like Faiza who’d already suffered miscarriages.”
Faiza’s little boy, Wali Hussein, arrived on June 2, 2020, with Victoria facing increasing COVID cases every day. After Wali’s arrival, Maison continued to provide support until Faiza was home and confident with her new bub. Mercifully, they were settled when the state went back into full lockdown just a few weeks later.
“Maison helped me at my most vulnerable time,” Faiza says. “She took the time to get to know us and helped me understand the process of birthing and what my labour options were. After I delivered Wali, she was the one who introduced me to breastfeeding and taught me how to settle him when he was distressed.
She supported me in every way.”
To date, 50 per cent of the women who have navigated their pregnancies with the help of Birth of Humankind have been at risk of depression; 65 per cent were newly arrived migrants, of refugee background or seeking asylum; and almost half of them did not speak English as their primary language. One in three experienced homelessness. Women in these circumstances face lower appointment attendances, less access to information and interpreters, and a lack of continuity of care, all of which can influence maternal health outcomes.
Birth for Humankind works to address these issues, under the guiding philosophy that healthier and happier mums means healthier and happier families.
“The doula’s role is to provide continuous emotional and practical support, and they can be an advocate for the woman as well,” says Mei Lai.
Birth for Humankind trains bicultural doulas to help improve the outcomes for women from diverse backgrounds. The team can also provide practical services such as transport to hospital or medical appointments.
“It’s incredibly gratifying, knowing that even the smallest thing can make a very big difference to a woman’s life and experience,” Mei Lai says. “For me, the role of the doula is about offering any support that is needed, and that inevitably gives the woman agency over her situation that she otherwise might not have had. We are filling the function of families and communities.
“Our world and communities have changed so much, and often that support isn’t necessarily there. That’s the void Birth for Humankind fills.”
Birth of a doula
Four-year-old Asma can hardly contain her joy as she skips around Melbourne’s Fitzroy Gardens, catching the claret-coloured leaves raining down from the flame tree above. Rugged up in her favourite Frozen outfit, she is blissfully unaware of the special bond her mother Farzana Muzafari shares with the women gathered around her.
Farzana arrived in Australia from Afghanistan in 2015, where she worked as a midwife. “I loved biology in school and I wanted a medical job,” she explains. “My aunt suggested that being a midwife would be a good role because many women in Afghanistan lose their babies through poor medical care, especially rural women.”
Despite her experience, arriving in Australia presented complex challenges – primarily the language barrier – and Farzana struggled to navigate our health system when she became pregnant. She was referred to Birth for Humankind, which provided a doula to support her through Asma’s arrival, and the experience was so profound that Farzana offered to support others. Working with Birth of Humankind, Farzana has now helped more than 10 women successfully give birth.
“My doula, holding my hand, guiding me through every step, made such a difference to me,” she says. “Through my experience, I became familiar with the system and knew I could help others.
“It’s very hard, coming from another country and not really knowing the language. I studied English before I came here, but it’s not the same as speaking the language, and I think by the time I got here I’d forgotten most of the words! Some of the women I’ve helped didn’t know a word of English, and it can make the experience of giving birth very frightening. When I see the babies arrive, it makes me so happy, I can hardly explain the feeling. It is such a precious, joyful moment.”
Julie-Anne Isaacson, 54, was a midwife who’d worked for many years in the hospital system when she gave it all away to volunteer as a doula.
It’s changed her life, giving her a new sense of purpose and empowerment.
“I think the most important part of my work is helping the women find their own power,” she says. “I support them to be heard and have their needs met. I build their confidence so that they know this is their baby, their body and their birth. Often you find very vulnerable women are too scared to speak up if they have a question or a concern, or if they don’t like the path they’re being taken down. A doula can help ensure they have a nice start and they can connect well with their baby … And I feel like I get as much, if not more, out of it as I give.”
Carly Lord and Mei Lai Swan have forged a special bond which will last a lifetime. After Mei Lai established Birth for Humankind, Carly joined the board to offer a unique insight into the birthing experience of those who are vulnerable. Both women have now stepped away from their formal roles to focus on family and other projects, but they agree their relationship has profoundly impacted their lives.
“I call Mei Lai my fairy-doula-mother,” Carly laughs, “She brought an instant calmness to my fears and doubts. I felt wrapped in the warmth she offered. I can’t underestimate the lasting impact of Mei Lai’s support. I don’t recognise my life now compared to then, and the critical role Mei Lai played and the support she provided not only shaped my birth experience but has been a positive throughout my parenting journey.”
Mei Lai still pinches herself, knowing the foundation she created has had a lasting impact on so many women.
“It’s a beautiful thing to know that you’ve helped give life and support, and you’ve helped a woman flourish during the most amazing time in her life,” Mei Lai declares. “Knowing there’s a group of doulas giving their time and performing magic in the community is wonderful. There’s a sisterhood between us all that is very beautiful.”
“It’s a beautiful thing to know that you’ve helped a woman flourish during the most amazing time in her life.” – Mei Lai