The gift of life

In the suburbs of Melbourne, a group of selfless volunteers help vulnerable women navigate the challenges of pregnancy and childbirth. And they have more than 500 healthy babies to show for their work.

- SUESME THURST

Carly Lord was 19 years old and had just moved to Victoria when she discovered she was pregnant. The teenager was mourning her mother, who’d recently passed away, and living in a new city a long way from family and friends. There was no one to wrap her in the love she needed to get through one of life’s biggest journeys.

During a hospital check-up, a social worker suggested to Carly that a doula (a skilled birth support worker) might be able to provide the comfort and care she craved.

“I didn’t even know what a doula was – it was a totally foreign concept to me,” says Carly, reflecting on those anxious months before she gave birth to Huxley, now eight. “It’s scary enough being pregnant, let alone when you’re young or have no support. It was a really challenging time and it was so isolating, not knowing anyone and not having had any exposure to pregnancy or birth.”

In a somewhat serendipitous moment, Carly was introduced to Mei Lai Swan, a doula-in-training who volunteered at Melbourne’s Royal Women’s Hospital, providing support to vulnerable women during their pregnancies. It was a Sliding Doors meeting that changed both of their lives.

With Mei Lai’s support, Carly gave birth to her healthy baby, and both mother and son thrived. For Mei Lai, the experience with Carly cemented her belief that a doula can empower women who are vulnerable or facing disadvantage at this critical time in their lives.