A Full Circle of Support: From Doula to Sisterhood
- Mafalda Oliveira
- Mar 28
- 2 min read
Birth work is more than just a service—it’s a connection, a deep trust, and sometimes, a life-changing sisterhood.
In 2018, at 39 weeks pregnant, Glenda reached out to me, looking for a doula to support her through the birth of her son. We had just met, but there was an instant trust between us. On July 25th, 2018, I stood by her side, guiding her through the intensity of labor, holding space for her, and witnessing her incredible strength as she brought her baby into the world. It was a transformative moment, not just for her, but for both of us. During labor she asked me what she needed to do in order to become a Doula...
A year later, to the day , on July 25th, 2019, the roles reversed. She became my doula, standing beside me as I birthed my own son. The very hands I once held in labor were now holding mine, offering me the same unwavering support I had once given her. It was a full-circle moment that neither of us could have predicted but felt so deeply meant to be.
But she was more than my Doula... She was a life saver...
During her prenatal visits as my Doula with me and my husband, she was one of the first people to notice that something wasn’t right. She saw the subtle but undeniable signs—his words, his actions, the way tension filled the room and he spoke over me. She noticed how I shrank in certain moments, how I hesitated before speaking. She saw the way he treated our oldest daughter, the warning signs that even I had pushed aside, trying to believe things would get better. Quietly, gently, she planted a seed, making sure I knew that what I was experiencing wasn’t normal, that I deserved better.
And then, when my world turned upside down, she was there.
After my son’s birth, she became a crucial part of my postpartum experience. As my postpartum doula, she didn’t just care for me physically—she provided me with the emotional strength I so desperately needed. At a time when I was vulnerable, healing, and navigating the overwhelming transition of new motherhood once again, she was my rock.
When I finally had the strength to face the truth—when I knew I had to leave for the sake of my children and myself at 3 weeks pospartum—she was right there beside me. She supported me as I made one of the hardest yet most necessary decisions of my life—fleeing to safety and starting over in a shelter with my babies.
She wasn’t just my doula. She was the first to see what I couldn’t yet admit. She became my sister in birth, in survival, and in new beginnings.
This is why I do what I do. Birth work is not just about labor support—it’s about the deep, unshakable connections we build along the way. It’s about reminding women that they are never meant to do this alone.
To the woman who once trusted me with her birth, and then became the one to guide me through my own rebirth—I am forever grateful.
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