'Birth Aunties'

I was fortunate to have been invited to the annual 'Gala Evening' fundraiser event for our university campus, last week.






It was a 'black tie' do and I found myself seated between a Professor (our host) and a Doctor of Education who I had not previously met, both highly intelligent, interesting and interested men.


Inevitably the moment came when I was invited (by said Dr) to define a doula.

"But surely that's the same thing as a midwife?" he responded, "What's the difference?"








So, after reiterating the emotional, social and practical - rather than the clinical - support bit, I tried something new:

"Kind of like a birth auntie!"



The conversation then changed to another subject. However, some fine wine and a good dinner later in the evening, as we paused between Raffle and Auction, the delightful Dr reflected this term back at me in perfect context.

Yay, he so got it! I was so impressed! And it made me reflect on the possibility of using 'Birth Auntie' as a way of describing the doula more often ...