Tuesday, January 1, 2008

a real honour...

every time a doula attends a birth, we feel privileged to have been invited into such a personal and special event in people's lives.  at a recent birth i was blessed with the honour of cutting the baby's umbilical cord and each time i remember that moment i feel a wave of emotion come over me.

at the time it was sort of a blur; it had been a long labour and i think we were all a little loopy by the end, but looking back - i swell with pride and joy.   being allowed to witness tiny little babies enter the world is such a wonderful gift.  but the fact that the mother, after such a momentous event and such a huge journey thought of asking me to cut the cord truly speaks volumes to me.

as a doula, i am constantly wondering if i could have done something differently, improved an outcome, changed a path for a client... and then every once in a while there is a gesture or a moment or an event that reminds me that i am just one person, doing the best i can.

and so every once in a while i think about that cord cutting moment and then i know that i am in the right line of work.  :)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks Kristin. Not sure if this is about me or another birth, but it sure is touching to read! You do amazing work.