Our baby girl, Layla, entered the world surrounded by the love of not only myself, husband and mother, but our wonderful Doula- Louise.
I arrived in Dubai in November last year not having a clue about the maternity care here or what to expect during labour. As first time parents, I felt that my husband and I could benefit from one to one support during my pregnancy and in the labour room. Louise made me feel at complete ease from the day I met her- she exudes warmth and her message from day one was that she’d always want my husband and I to make our own decisions, but Louise would be there to guide and inform us. She not only supported me emotionally when we discovered Layla was a breached baby and I had developed placenta calcification, but offered sound information from reputable sources so we could make changes and decisions to ensure Layla’s safe arrival.
Ultimately, Louise cared for the three of us in our journey. I’ll never forget Louise massaging my back during my 9 hour labour – responding to my screams of needing my back massaged (sorry Louise!)! My husband got through seeing his wife in pain through Louise’s comforting words. I always got the impression that Louise loved her job as a Doula, however as soon as Layla arrived it was apparent to me the journey of labour and the birth of a new baby brings her so much joy, and this is what makes Louise and Dou La La so incredibly special. I really don’t know how to thank Louise for everything she has done for us, but I will tell Layla when she’s older how wonderful Louise was to us and the joy on her face when Layla was born. We will never forget our experience, and you holding our hands at each step of the way.