A labour supporter (doula) is a professional who offers you and your partner reassurance, practical assistance, and information during pregnancy and birth. The stories here highlight how much these women and their partners felt cared for and supported during labour with their doula with them!

Meghan's story
Meghan's doulas did more than offer the physical support in labour that Meghan had anticipated. They helped her deal with the emotional curveballs she hadn't expected when her older son fell sick just as the new baby was getting set to arrive, and with the bittersweet process of seeing her first baby growing up and giving up his place as "baby" of the family.

Liz's story
Liz had the labour she always imagined - she used several comfort measures and had wonderful support from her husband and doula. She coped beautifully and felt strong and in control. But after many hours with no progress, Liz and her husband Jimmy chose to have a caesarean. They found their entire experience positive and affirming.

Jeffrey's story
Read Jeffrey's hilarious and touching account of his baby's birth -- a must-read for every dad-to-be!

Mary's story
Mary and Dan planned a homebirth for the birth of their second baby. Mary describes in wonderful detail the comfort measures and techniques she used as she moved through each stage of labour, including visualization, using heat packs and a bath, and vocalization.

Jill's story (Callum's birth)
Jill worried about how she would be able to cope with labour during her first birth, since, as she said, the most physical discomfort she had handled to that point was plucking her eyebrows! Her story shows how the most important factor in handling labour is not the so-called "pain threshold" but a woman's attitude and approach. Perception is everything!

Jill's story (Ewan's birth)
In the middle of Jill's second pregnancy, it was discovered that she had placenta previa, where the placenta is lying very near to or covering the cervix. Soon after, she began to have bouts of serious bleeding and was hospitalized several times before her baby was born by emergency caesarean at nearly 35 weeks.

Joo Hymn's story
Joo Hymn found her labour quite painful, but arrived at the hospital pushing, and her baby was born just minutes later. Afterward, she struggled with breastfeeding for some time. In a letter to her baby, Joo Hymn describes how proud she feels of the strength she found within herself to cope with labour in the way she wanted, and how glad she was that she persevered with breastfeeding.

Kara's story (Ryan's birth)
Expecting their third child, Kara and her husband Alex planned a vaginal birth after two caesareans (VBA2C). After deciding to have an induction one week past her due date, Kara went into labour spontaneously the night before the induction was scheduled, but after labouring all day, Kara and Alex chose a caesarean when the baby was not moving from an unfavourable position. Kara felt happy to have planned a VBAC, even if it did not come to pass. She was glad that her baby had the benefit of labour before the caesarean, and she again made the choices to ensure she would have a positive experience for her caesarean birth.

Lisette's story
Lisette and Jan wanted to have their second baby at home, as is common practice in their home country. They planned carefully and were well prepared. After several frustrating days when labour seemed to start only to stop again, Lisette gave birth to a second daughter at home as planned, after a short labour.

Kerry's story
Kerry and Thom travelled to Singapore from their home in Indonesia to have their first baby. They liked the idea of having someone familiar and experienced to be present at their birth in a strange city where they knew practically no one, so they chose to have a doula support them during pregnancy and birth. After a long and challenging labour, and reaching the point where she was almost ready to give up, Kerry sat in Thom's arms on a birth stool to give birth to their baby girl.

Lynette's story
Following a very long labour, Lynette had a caesarean for the birth of her first baby. Lynette and her husband found their experience was a very positive one despite the unplanned outcome, because of the quality of information they received from their doula and doctor, and because they had a complete understanding all the options available to them.

Liliana's story
Liliana's second birth was a rollercoaster of emotion. She describes it beautifully – an empowering and intense experience.

Joelle's story
Joelle had her fourth baby exactly the way she had wanted it to be. Her first two births in the Philippines were under twilight sleep and she was unconscious for both. Her third birth was an induction with no pain-relieving drugs used. Joelle's amazing journey during her fourth pregnancy included her decision to change doctors the day before she went into labour.

Kara's story (Avery's birth)
Kara was planning a vaginal birth after a caesarean (VBAC) for her second baby, but experienced complications during labour and had a repeat caesarean birth. This time, however, her caesarean was a far more positive experience.

Elise's story
Elise had her second child naturally. Up until the day she went into labour, her daughter had been in the breech position (head down), but turned after an external cephalic version done by her doctor on her due day.

Veronica's story
Veronica had her first baby gently and without pain-relieving drugs after an induction with prostaglandin 11 days past her due date. Veronica was supported by her husband, sister, and doula, and returned home just hours after her baby was born.

Sandra's story
Sandra had her second baby exactly as she had planned. Several days before he was born, Sandra's membranes ruptured prematurely. After investigating all of their options, Sandra and her husband decided to wait for labour to start spontaneously, with close monitoring of her baby.

Deon's story
Deon had her first baby after a very quick labour with her doula supporting her.

Sherry's story
Sherry had her first baby after labouring at home for several hours, arriving at hospital in the late stages. Sherry and her husband Lindsay returned home again afterwards on the same morning their son was born.

Harlinah's story
After a very long posterior labour, Harlinah had her first child with the support of her husband and two doulas.