For Elizabeth Cawein's first pregnancy, she hired a birth doula — someone who could advocate for her during labor, educate her on birth beforehand, and support her postpartum in recovery. Sadly, Cawein's son died during delivery in July 2018. The doula she hired was out of town when she went into labor, but she wasn't upset about her absence. Instead, it made her realize that maybe she didn't want a doula in the delivery room after all.
"My husband and I ultimately were alone together in the delivery room for that experience," Cawein told Salon. "And because it was such a difficult and emotional thing to go through, it really sort of created this feeling that this was really in an even more sacred space that we just wanted to be alone."
