Linda

When I became pregnant with my second child, I had mixed feelings. My first birth had been quite difficult. It was long, painful and ended with an emergency caesarean section. I didn't feel at all that I was allowed to be there during the birth, and it was clear that the staff were stressed. And it took me a long time to process that experience.

This time I really wanted to do it differently. I wanted to feel strong and have the opportunity to listen to my body. I had heard many podcasts about "revenge births" and really wished it could be like that for me too. We hired Anna, a doula who was recommended to us by a friend.

It was so nice to be able to talk about my first birth with someone who understood. We had several meetings where we went over my birth plan, talked about my wishes and how we could create a calm and safe environment for the birth.

Anna came to our house as soon as I started to feel regular contractions. She helped me find comfortable positions, massaged my back and reminded me of breathing and presence. It was a completely different experience this time. Anna and my partner were truly a team, and I felt supported and cared for in a way I had not experienced during my first birth. When we went into the hospital, I was already quite far along.

It was so nice to have a doula there! She helped me communicate with the staff and made sure my wishes were respected. Just her being in the room calmed me down.

With Anna's help and support from my partner, I managed to give birth vaginally. Despite some pressure about heart sounds etc. from the staff. There was some stress after the birth as I bled quite a bit but we still managed to stay in our bubble. Our doula talked to the staff and then she came and talked to us about what happened.

This second birth was a healing experience for me. I felt strong and proud even though in retrospect I wished I had given birth at home. Anna's support was invaluable, not only during the birth but also during the pregnancy and when we got home. She mostly listened and helped me feel like a good mother even though I myself felt that I was not enough for both my children.