Dakota welcomed her new baby during the coronavirus pandemic with a doula at her side. Thank you for making sure this first time mom had the support she needed and ensuring that she is not alone at this vulnerable time.
In Times of Fear
You answered the call and changed a life
“I was terrified. I had this vision of all of these people surrounding me and suddenly I realized I couldn’t have that.”
After hospitals put restrictions in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, many pregnant women were forced to give birth without their full support systems. But you ensured that Dakota and other at-risk mothers were not alone.
Dakota got a call about a month before she gave birth saying her mother, friends and family couldn’t be with her when she delivered to limit exposure to the coronavirus. “I was terrified. I had this vision of all of these people surrounding me and suddenly I realized I couldn’t have that.”
But Dakota’s HumanKind Healthy Families Support Worker knew there was an exception to this rule. Hospitals were allowing Certified Birth Doulas – to serve as an advocate for the birthing mother, but there was a barrier that remained. How would expectant mothers like Dakota afford to have this advocate with her?
You stepped up, and you saved the day! You provided Dakota a Certified Birth Doula to stand at her side and advocate for her in the most vulnerable time of her life. Lauren Barnes, Program Manager of HumanKind’s program, The Motherhood Collective, shared, “It is my strongest belief that women are innately able to care for their children and they deserve to have support from their entire community.” This is what you provided.
Even after giving birth, Dakota had to self-isolate – at a time when new mothers need a support system most. Her doula and family support worker continued to be a lifeline and make sure she had someone to answer questions and offer guidance to a new mother isolated in a pandemic.
Dakota says her doula is forever a part of her family’s story and made her feel more powerful as a mother. “My doula told me all of my options, she said, ‘you can do this, it’s your decision it’s your choice.”
Your generosity has forever changed the life of Dakota and other mothers like her. You provided the tools she needed to overcome this obstacle.
Thanks to you, Dakota had the support system to get the best start into motherhood. Without you, she might have struggled alone in this crisis. Thank you for being a light in the middle of this dark time. Right now there are women, who much like Dakota, need someone to walk with through this crisis. Because of you and your support, help and resources are ready and waiting for an expectant mother in need.
Learn more about the Healthy Families and The Motherhood Collective, programs of HumanKind by visiting here.