Once Her Doula, Always Her Doula

Chiiiiile, let me see how brief I can keep this one.

Don’t hold me to that though. 😅

We met in January 2021… this was baby #1.

We floated through that pregnancy… and I wish I were exaggerating. 😂

My girl was by far the most low-maintenance muva EVER!

She did yoga throughout her pregnancy, and that New Yorker in her reared its head something fierce.

What do I mean?

I’m SO glad you asked!

That girl would walk SO many miles every single day. I had to BEG her to sit down somewhere! Eventually, I just prayed and let her be because she wasn’t stopping.

Sometimes, as a doula, you just gotta pick your battles and she had me like…

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

But this isn’t about the first birth… it’s about the second one…kinda.

She moved away not long after baby #1, but we still kept in touch.

Fast forward to pregnancy #2; I wished I could support her again, but distance just wouldn’t allow it.

In June, I got a Facebook Messenger call from her.

It was so good to see her face and hear her voice, since we’d mostly been texting throughout her pregnancy.

She wept, and I asked what was wrong.
She said, “It’s just good to see your face.”

We had some small talk until I realized… she was contracting.
So I started timing them.

She had a pretty consistent pattern and I knew she was in labor, but it was likely prodromal.

Same thing happened with our first baby together; plenty of false alarms, even though she stayed hydrated and active.

I checked in over the next few days and then BOOM!

The real show was happening that Sunday and baby was born that day.

I was so proud of and happy for her!

Birthing baby #2 at home after a beautiful birth center birth with baby #1? Iconic.

But that’s not even why I wrote this.

I’ve just been reflecting on how much trust mamas put in me.

They don’t have to but they do.
And I’m forever grateful.

Even when they move away, have more babies, and still call me… it warms my heart every single time.

To know she felt safe and comfortable enough to call me, though many miles away, means everything.

To my girl:
Thank you.
For trusting me.
For letting me be part of your journey, near or far.
Not once, but twice.
For loving me, and letting me love you right back.

Kiss my puddins for me and give yourself a big ol’ hug.
I love you real big, and there’s not a thing you can do about it. 💜🤍🩵

✌🏾 & 💜,
Aeryka