The Birth of Maggie

Written on 08/31/2017
Nadine Richardson

DADDY DOULA: JOHN

My partner John was wonderful during the birth, but that was the easy part! He was great at using and remembering all the techniques we learned in the She Births® course. When I wasn’t able to think straight, let alone work out what I needed, he was there squeezing my hips together for great pain relief and talking me through all the breathing. He was such a rock, and helped me to feel strong and capable.

After Maggie was born and everyone wanted to hear the story of her birth, he had the most beautiful things to say about her birth, and about me.

His amazing support got me through the first week where we had a lot of trouble with feeding. She had a big weight loss after birth and we had to supplement with expressed milk and formula. For every feed I did, he did one too. He did all the settling of the baby and made sure I was ok. I was a complete wreck and constantly crying. He helped me to see the funny side of things, and constantly told me what a good job I was doing. I’ve loved having him home the last few weeks while our little family bonds. I am so in awe of how he knew what I needed, and I feel so lucky that he is the father of our beautiful girl. Watching them together melts my heart!

I’m sure everyone says this about their partner, but I could not have done it without him, and I know the She Births® course helped him to feel confident and helpful, and he raves about the course to anyone who is pregnant. So thank you!

xxx Katie

Katie | Australian Birth Story