The Egyptian Doulas helping deliver new life into the World
Today, more and more women in Egypt are seeking the support of a doula during their birth process. Coming from the greek word doulos meaning to serve, a modern-day doula refers to a female trained professional who provides expert knowledge, emotional support and guidance to parents during the birth process. It is important to note that doulas are not trained medical or healthcare professionals, but instead are trained in guiding and supporting women during this challenging and emotional journey of childbirth. There are various types of doulas - birth doulas, fertility doulas and postpartum doulas.
People tend to be most familiar with the idea of a birth doula, whether formally or informally called so, women over the ages have always looked to each other for support during this time of great transition and change. After all, heralding new life into the world is no small feat. But part of that task is making space for a new born and making entry both into the world and into a new family as seamless as possible. This is where postpartum doulas come in. Postpartum doulas are there to offer non-judgmental support, guidance, evidence-based education and practical hands-on support immediately after birth and throughout the first year of the child’s life. According to the International Doula Institute, a postpartum doula’s responsibilities extend to caring for and understanding the needs of the whole family involved. This includes the mother of course, but also the siblings, the other parent, the home itself as an environment and the baby too.
This kind of woman-to-woman support is not something new in Egyptian culture. Even though there was no word for it back then, in ancient Egypt, the work of a midwife encompassed more than perhaps today’s doula as it extended to medical care as well, but included many of the similar duties of providing emotional support and encouragement. The skills and knowledge would be passed on from family member to family member or friend to friend. For peasants, the midwife was a friend, neighbor, and/or family member who helped deliver the baby. For noblewomen and wealthier classes, she was usually a maidservant or nurse who already lived in the household. Most women back then delivered their babies on the cool roof of the house or in an arbor or confinement pavilion — a structure of papyrus-stalk columns decorated with vines. Women from the noble class gave birth in birth houses attached to temples. Many women would be around to help with different tasks during childbirth. Other than the midwife who was positioned in front of the mother to help the delivery and catch the baby, two other women would be present on either side of the mother to hold her hands and arms to give her encouragement and support her when pushing. The woman giving birth would be standing, kneeling or squatting with her heels on birthing bricks or sitting on a birthing chair. These bricks were decorated with colorful painted scenes and figures of the birth process. The chairs too were made of brick and had a hole in the center. They too were decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions of the owner and painted scenes of the mother, baby and goddesses. Birth was as you can see an all-women’s task. Even the gods involved were women. Heket or Hequit, was the frog-headed goddess blessing and aiding all these women during delivery. Midwives back then were often referred to as the daughters of Heket.
Today, there are a number of women carrying on this beautiful tradition of women supporting women in Egypt. Some of these women have even stretched out their doula duties to answer to a wider need of sexual and reproductive health education raising awareness through their social media platforms and holding workshops for women to get better acquainted with their bodies as they change and expand to nurture a new life into being. Your Egyptian Doula and Mother Being are among the more famous names, but there are many women in Egypt who have taken on this old profession and renewing what it means to be a doula not only in today’s world but in the Egyptian world where women’s needs might not only differ but the support they need too might be different. All these doulas work alongside medical professionals, doctors and nurses to help women experience birth, their bodies, their babies in the best way possible so that they can become the best mothers they can be. Blessings to all who support women and their families during this great time of transition.