'Mothers the mothers' program to give babies a good start

SAN ANTONIO - Once Suzanne de Leon found out what a doula was, she was "totally hooked." It was the same for April Todd.

Doula, a Greek word meaning "to mother the mother" or "to be a servant," is something more San Antonians are becoming familiar with, thanks to de Leon and Todd and their work with San Antonio Birth Doulas, now part of Catholic Charities. A doula is a woman trained to offer emotional and physical support and comfort to a woman having a baby, to facilitate early bonding between mother and infant and teach good parenting skills. A doula is not a midwife, nor does she take over the role of the father or family members in the delivery room. De Leon, founder and executive director of San Antonio Birth Doulas, started the local program in 1999 to "address the high incidences of abuse and neglect that our young babies were receiving at the hands of their teenage parents." People sometimes question helping pregnant teenagers, feeling it advocates teen pregnancy, de Leon said. "We don't advocate that, but once it happens, this is our future," she told Today's Catholic, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. "These babies are going to be the future of San Antonio. Let's give them a good start." San Antonio Birth Doulas started as part of the Martinez Street Women's Center. Within a couple of years, de Leon's project had outgrown its small office, so it was moved to a building that also housed Catholic Charities. Steve Saldana, president of Catholic Charities of San Antonio, became acquainted with the program and invited it to come under the Catholic Charities umbrella, with the merger taking place in July 2005. At that time de Leon also took on the directorship of Guadalupe Home, dedicated to caring for homeless, pregnant women 18 years or older, and Todd was hired as assistant director of San Antonio Birth Doulas, running the day-to-day operations. The program served a record number of 95 clients in 2005 and currently has 15 doulas. Training for doulas takes place twice yearly. Participants come from throughout Texas, as well as other states. "I've never put an ad in the paper," said de Leon. "They all find us." "I really feel God brings them to us," said Todd of the doulas they attract. "When I meet with these women, the quality of the women that come through our organization, I'm just overwhelmed." During labor, the doula works with the mother, assisting her with breathing and massage techniques and offering constant encouragement. "The doulas really become friends with these teen moms," said Todd. "It's hard when you're young and expectant -- and they're scared." After an internship that involves participating in three births for free, the doulas receive their certification through the Doula Organization of North America and are paid on a scale ranging from $125 to $425 per birth. The mothers pay what they can for the service. Doulas are encouraged to attend the eight-week series of childbirth education classes with their clients, enabling them to better bond with the young women. During the classes, the expectant moms earn coupons for attendance, keeping doctor appointments, eating right and exercising. At the end of the eight weeks, they are allowed to spend these coupons in a special "doula store" temporarily set up in one of the rooms at Catholic Charities. They can be redeemed for donated new or "gently used" items, ranging from diapers and strollers to breast pumps and toys. The new mothers receive a brand new layette, courtesy of the Assistance League of San Antonio, which also donates clothes and toys for older siblings up to age 6. After the birth, the doula assists with breastfeeding instructions and can refer the new mothers to lactation consultants if there is a problem. She also follows up with three postpartum visits, to identify any postpartum depression and help the new moms learn to bond and interact with their babies. Many of the young mothers de Leon and Todd have assisted remain in touch over the years. "It's important what happens when this baby is brand new and how this baby is received into the world and into the family," de Leon said. "We've got so many great organizations that help out after the fact, after this child has been neglected or abused or whatever. We're trying to prevent negative things from happening to babies and families." Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops