A three-legged stool is very strong. It can support us and provide a comfortable resting place. And because three points define a plane, it is hard to topple over, even on an uneven surface.
The three-legged stool has a long history – from milking stool to birthing stool and even, in some cultures, the stool acted as a throne.
The doula three legged stool helps us remember the three pillars of doula support.
First, practical support. Doulas can be an extra pair of hands. To fetch and carry, to make and to do, to hold hands and babies, maybe to clean and cook.
Next, Emotional Support. We listen. We understand. We validate, praise and unconditionally approve of our clients. We are available, with open ears and open hearts. We empathise and are genuinely interested in how our clients feel.
Lastly, informational support. We offer facts and signposts to sources of information and specialist support. We provide evidence or alternative views and approaches. We point to complementary services. We loan our clients books or accompany them to local services other clients have found useful. We can talk choices and their pros and cons til the cows come home.
On top, the comfortable seat of doula support. We hold you up with love, hold your hand as you journey through the labyrinth of birth and parenting.
