Why doula support matters?

 

Pregnancy # ONE

​Late August 2011, Alreema experienced unexpected heavy bleeding and abdominal pain, prompting a visit to the hospital. There, she discovered she was nearly 8 weeks pregnant, but the staff labeled it as a miscarriage and provided her with pills to terminate the pregnancy. Fearful, she discarded the pills and returned home. A week later, she returned to the same hospital with heavy bleeding, only to be met with congratulations—she was 9 weeks pregnant. A doctor explained that the bleeding may have been caused by a sensitive cervix. Overwhelmed with emotion, Alreema realized that if she had taken the pills, she would have ended a viable pregnancy. At 24 years old, she began her journey with regular prenatal care after her first OBGYN visit. Before her pregnancy, Alreema did not have a regular OB and never had pap exams. She was eventually diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), which is severe vomiting and led to early contractions at 24 weeks due to dehydration. As her pregnancy progressed, she experienced swelling in her lower extremities, making it difficult to walk. In March 2012, she gave birth to a baby boy who required phototherapy for high jaundice levels. At that time, Alreema wasn't formally educated on breastfeeding. However, a pediatrician informed her that her baby would only be discharged if she committed to breastfeeding, as it would benefit her son and lower his levels. After two weeks of follow-up visits to check his levels, Alreema successfully breastfed him for a month before stopping once he was cleared.

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Pregnancy # TWO

Alreema's Valentine baby made her pregnancy a breeze, with the only aversions being greasy foods and meat. She craved fruits, veggies, and cheese, and her belly didn't show until around seven months when it suddenly popped. While she believed she was having the perfect pregnancy, things changed during delivery in November 2013. After ten hours of labor, the medical staff advised her to get an epidural due to the baby's dipping heart rate, which led her to abandon her all-natural plan. As she was delivering, she noticed an influx of nearly 20 medical staff members in the room, and amidst her concern, she was told to give one final push. With the sound of scissors, her baby girl was finally delivered. The doctor quickly handed the baby to the pediatric team, who began resuscitation. Her daughter had a nuchal cord, with the umbilical cord wrapped three times around her neck, cutting off her oxygen supply. At 52 seconds, the most beautiful sound any terrified mother could hear filled the room—a baby's cry. The room erupted in cheers, and after a few minutes, the baby girl was handed to Alreema. She could feel the indentations on the back of her baby's head where the cord had wrapped tightly. What many didn't know was that before going into labor Alreema was homeless, living out of her car and sleeping on a stranger's attic floor. Fortunately, a relative reached out to her the day before her discharge, and Alreema broke down, sharing her situation. She stayed with her relative until March 1, 2014, when she secured her first apartment as a single mother.

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Pregnancy # THREE

Before Alreema became pregnant with her last baby boy in 2016, she experienced a miscarriage at 14 weeks, which left her with low blood levels. This made the first four months of her new pregnancy challenging, causing abnormal heart palpitations that led her to consult a cardiologist. The anxiety from this experience became overwhelming, to the point that she feared being alone. Although the palpitations eventually subsided, they returned in early February 2017, ultimately forcing her to stop working as a daycare teacher due to the stress. Alreema's labor was short but far from anything sweet; after six hours of intense contractions, she requested an epidural to manage the pain. Unfortunately, the initial attempt by two students was unsuccessful, leading to the lead anesthesiologist to step in. Shortly after, Alreema began losing feeling on her left side, which progressed to temporary paralysis from the neck down during delivery. The room filled with medical staff, and a fading voice urged, " stay with me, stay with me" as Alreema went in and out of consciousness. This marked the beginning of a long recovery for Alreema, both mentally and physically, after the birth of her baby boy in April 2017. About two weeks post-discharge, she was admitted to level 2 ICU for four days, diagnosed with eclampsia, and her blood pressure soared to 210/105. Despite her organs swelling significantly, she chose to discard all medications in June 2017, seeking answers and starting her holistic journey, which led her to discover doula work. Her path to recovery spanned over a year, involving multiple specialists, as she faced postpartum depression, OCD, and anxiety. However, her new lifestyle change was making things easier. June 2018, she started her journey as a doula and began to discover a new life.

 

Were you able to pinpoint all of the times Alreema could have benefited from a doula? 

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Today, Alreema finds peace in her work as a doula, using her skills to manage anxiety when it arises. Throughout her previous pregnancies, she relied on various social services while living in Newark, including general assistance, food stamps, unemployment, and childcare assistance. Alreema often refers to herself as the "poster mom" for urban single mothers, despite her education and work ethic. This connection drives her mission with Nurturing BayBees, dba Nurturing Families Two, to serve marginalized communities, ensuring that all families receive quality services and access to trustworthy resources without judgment. This is their safe space, and this is her story!

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To read more about Alreema as the doula, click "Meet The Founder" bottom below.​

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