The Middle of the Night

Doulas, birth and postpartum alike, spend a lot of time awake in the middle of the night. Bedside with a laboring mama. Cribside with a newborn. Watching, waiting, ready.

There's something different about the middle of the night. Even in a hospital, it gets quieter. People speak in whispers, even when no one in the room is sleeping. The lights are low. And in that quiet, there's room to reflect, and to connect in small ways: a hand reaching out to hold yours while she shifts position, or reaching for your support as she walks through another contraction.

Oddly enough, the middle of the night is when we see and hear what's real in ways daylight doesn't allow. We look more deeply into someone's eyes. We listen more closely to her breathing, making sure it's deep and steady. It's in these hours that a doula is often needed most.

Our hands are at the ready.