Young Mothers Get Support From Doula Project Volunteers

Who said raising a child was easy? And being a young, single parent with little or no support at home is even more challenging.

Luckily, the Childbirth and Parenting Alone (CAPA) organization of Catholic Family Service helps young parents with its doula program.

CAPA encompasses a wide range of free services for young, single parents that include counseling, legal information, childbirth education/preparation classes, a clothing bank, parenting classes, play groups, the CAPA house, and the doula project, which began in 1993.

‘Doula’ is a Greek word for a woman who serves other women. In recent years, it has come to mean a woman who helps another woman during and after her pregnancy.

In this program, doulas are matched with young mothers to support and encourage them throughout their pregnancy and during their first year of motherhood.

Most of the mothers-to-be are between the ages of 16-20 and do not come from stable homes, said Bonnie Deabler, director of CAPA. They often have home lives filled with chaos and dysfunction, she said. The doulas help guide the moms, serving both as friends and a positive role models.

Doulas must be at least 26 years old, have a high school degree, and must have parented, whether it be biological, foster or adoptive.

Doulas attend five evenings of training. The sessions focus on healthy pregnancy, healthy birth outcome, good early parenting skills, abuse and neglect prevention, and quality attention and bonding.

The doulas must commit for one year, and spend at least two hours a month with their assigned companion. The couple are responsible for their own interactions. However, CAPA also offers periodic get-togethers where many Doulas and mothers interact as a group.

The group activities also foster relationships between the young moms, creating a support system, said Mary Collins Murphy, doula project director.

Matching up moms and doulas is a careful process. Some of the factors are location, interests and age. Similarities help to build relationships between the mothers and doulas, Collins Murphy said.

”(The program) makes a difference - one person, one baby, one mother at a time,” said Collins Murphy.

“My doula helped me get into college. She gave influence on how to raise my son and how to handle stress,” said one young mother.

“She made me realize I was a great mom. She made me see that I was important,” said another mom.

CAPA is a non-profit organization that receives funding through Catholic Charities of Spokane, grants and private donations.

The fall training session for doulas will begin in September. For more information or to volunteer, call CAPA at 325-7667.

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