Ravenfire
19-07-2005, 01:51 PM
Mothering the Mothers – The Rise of the Doulas
You’re pregnant! Great news? Well, partly. The usual routes to healthcare and antenatal advice are difficult to access – they’re miles from where you live and, anyway, there’s a waiting list. Your best friend lives a motorway drive away, your parents are miles away and your partner is as unsure about what to do as you are. Your circumstances have a lot in common with plenty of other women, and that’s why more and more mums-to-be are seeking help from professional “maternity mentors†– called Doulas.
In Mum + One (15 x 30mins), Discovery Home & Health follows six independent Doulas as they bring care and support to women from different backgrounds – all of whom are in the later stages of pregnancy.
From a Greek word meaning “woman servant or caregiverâ€, a Doula is a practical, non-clinical, friend who provides emotional and physical support, reassurance, advice or just simply someone to talk to about the difficulties of pregnancy and childbirth. Some women hire them because they’ve never given birth before, they don’t know what to expect or how to manage their fears, and they have nobody to turn to. Some may have experienced difficulties with previous pregnancies and now want to avoid similar experiences a second time. Others may simply have an ideal ‘dream birth’ in mind and want to develop a birthing plan to help realise their goal. Whatever their expectations, increasing numbers of women each year are turning to Doulas for friendly expert advice in their own homes and in their own time.
Mum + One shadows the Doulas throughout their working day – from home visits, shopping trips and massage/aromatherapy care all the way through to the day of the birth and beyond (when some mums really appreciate a lie-in or someone to cook a meal for them).
While some births turn out to be straightforward, others become problematic – sometimes even life-threatening. Mum + One discovers how mother and Doula react to whatever pregnancy and childbirth can throw at them.
Mum + One premieres on July 18th at 7.30pm on Discovery Home & Health.
You’re pregnant! Great news? Well, partly. The usual routes to healthcare and antenatal advice are difficult to access – they’re miles from where you live and, anyway, there’s a waiting list. Your best friend lives a motorway drive away, your parents are miles away and your partner is as unsure about what to do as you are. Your circumstances have a lot in common with plenty of other women, and that’s why more and more mums-to-be are seeking help from professional “maternity mentors†– called Doulas.
In Mum + One (15 x 30mins), Discovery Home & Health follows six independent Doulas as they bring care and support to women from different backgrounds – all of whom are in the later stages of pregnancy.
From a Greek word meaning “woman servant or caregiverâ€, a Doula is a practical, non-clinical, friend who provides emotional and physical support, reassurance, advice or just simply someone to talk to about the difficulties of pregnancy and childbirth. Some women hire them because they’ve never given birth before, they don’t know what to expect or how to manage their fears, and they have nobody to turn to. Some may have experienced difficulties with previous pregnancies and now want to avoid similar experiences a second time. Others may simply have an ideal ‘dream birth’ in mind and want to develop a birthing plan to help realise their goal. Whatever their expectations, increasing numbers of women each year are turning to Doulas for friendly expert advice in their own homes and in their own time.
Mum + One shadows the Doulas throughout their working day – from home visits, shopping trips and massage/aromatherapy care all the way through to the day of the birth and beyond (when some mums really appreciate a lie-in or someone to cook a meal for them).
While some births turn out to be straightforward, others become problematic – sometimes even life-threatening. Mum + One discovers how mother and Doula react to whatever pregnancy and childbirth can throw at them.
Mum + One premieres on July 18th at 7.30pm on Discovery Home & Health.