Two Barrie doulas strongly believe that every dad deserves a doula.

A doula’s role is to help smooth the transition into parenthood by explaining what to expect during the birthing process, as well as providing comfort and support to the mother and family before, during and after birth.

Doula Heather Morgan said they are there just as much for the dad as they are for the mom.

Although dads really want to be involved in a birth, when it comes down to it, most are not prepared for what will happen.

“Even if they have been through an excellent child birth education class, nothing can prepare you for watching your partner go through birth,” she said. “When I am in a room and I see a dad who looks like a deer caught in the headlights, which we get a lot, I get them involved. ‘Remember mom wanted this to happen, help her with that.’”

Fellow doula Amy Austin describes her job as providing an extra pair of hands and an extra heart.

“I, in no way, shape or form, will take over for dad. A lot of dads think we will take over and that is not the case,” she said. “The two main things are continuous support and informed consent. That’s what characterizes us as doulas.”

Doulas are not midwives and do not replace nursing staff. Doulas do not perform any clinical or medical tasks such as blood pressure. Morgan and Austin stress they know their role as supporting players and are not there to make a mother do anything she doesn’t want to.

“I believe in a world where women have the opportunity to have their birth … the birth that’s right for them,” Morgan said. “We are both finished having our children and it’s not about us achieving our dream birth, but it is about supporting women to have their dream birth that they envision”.

Morgan said she had a passion for birth at a young age and always thought it would be a wonderful experience.

“Pregnancy was awful, giving birth was wonderful,” she said. “I really wanted to support other women and make sure they had the support that they needed to have that good experience.”

Although Morgan aspired to become a doula, her plans were put on hold after her un-born son was diagnosed with a chromosome abnormality that kills nine in 10 children.

“I began working and supporting women with Trisemi 18 diagnoses,” she said, adding it was difficult to see sad endings on a continuous basis.

Morgan made the switch to become a doula and specializes in helping mothers with high-risk births, and parents who have lost a baby previously.

Austin, a mother of five, said she has always been interested in birth, but didn’t consider becoming a doula until she was finished having her children.

“It took me five births to get it right,” Austin said. “My first four births always had something that just wasn’t right about them. By birth five, I found my voice. After that I started researching to find out if there was a way that birth one could be the right birth, and found out about doulas.”

Austin does a lot of work as a postpartum doula, helping the parents adjust to the newborn. A large part of this is education, sharing information about baby care, and teaching siblings and partners.

Morgan and Austin recently started Full Circle Doula Services, which provides group and individual childbirth classes. The service includes a minimum of eight hours of one-on-one instruction with a doula. Classes cover topics including labour comfort techniques, hospital procedures, newborn care, and how to calm a fussy baby.

Full Circle Doula Services also includes the assistance of Billie Skevington. Skevington is the first hearing-impaired doula in Canada and will be on hand to interpret the classes.

Clients are encouraged to call early enough in advance so the doula will have at least10 weeks to work with the mother before the birth.

A doula will support the family up to two to three hours after the birth, as well as provide a few followup meetings once the baby is home.

According to Austin, the first few days at home are fairly easy, but after a few weeks, when the baby is awake more, some mothers need support.

“Those are crucial times. When you walk in the door, I either go ‘great’ and we have coffee and chat or I go ‘I should have come yesterday’ and we schedule another appointment,” she said.

Morgan, who is new to Barrie, said a doula can be a huge help for moms whose family or close friends don’t live nearby.

“The group that is moving up to Barrie is younger. They are the ones who are having the children, and saying ‘I don’t know anyone and I’m having a baby.’ If their parents are an hour or two hours away, what happens when she goes into labour and she needs someone there now?”

Both women love their jobs as doulas and the experience of helping so many other women have a dream birth.

Austin said being a doula is a constant learning experiences, with each birth bringing a new set of lessons.

“No birth is the same, ever,” Austin said. “You have to be constantly on your toes. You have to be aware of what is happening.”

Morgan said becoming a doula is a reflective process.

“Being a doula isn’t something you do, being a doula is something you are forever becoming.”

Full Circle Doula’s next information session will be held Sept. 7 between 4 p.m. 7 p.m. at Centennial Park.

For more information, click the link provided or call 252-8020 or 241-1894