How the days went
While you were blooming within me
I remember each upon each —
The swelling changed planes of my body —
And how you first fluttered, then jumped
And I thought it was my heart.

How the days wound down
And the turning of winter
I recall, with you growing heavy
Against the wind. I thought
Now her hands
Are formed, and her hair
Has started to curl
Now her teeth are done
Now she sneezes.

Then the seed opened
I bore you one morning just before spring —
My head rang like a fiery piston
My legs were towers between which
A new world was passing.

Since then
I can only distinguish
One thread within running hours
You . . . flowing through selves

Toward you.

+ Audre Lorde, “Now That I am Forever With Child”

Birth is a portal, a space where the veil is thin and no person who enters its gates leaves unchanged. Birth and death are two sides of the same coin, for every birth ushers in the death of a thousand selves, a thousand ways of being and of knowing, a thousand ways of relating. As swiftly as it asks you release the former, it initiates you into something new: a new love, a new ache, a new orientation to your world. Doula care can guide you through this untraveled space.

We provide informational support (how to navigate prenatal appointments with your provider, develop your core values for your birth and birth preferences, childbirth education), emotional support (consistent check-ins to process what pregnancy is bringing up in your body and in your life) and spiritual support (prayer, presence, herbal care and aromatherapy).

At Doors, we offer full spectrum care, which means we accompany and care for pregnant people no matter the outcome of their pregnancy. Here are some examples of the care we provide:

• Prenatal home visits to connect, coach and encounter what is coming up for you in your pregnancy (childbirth education, postpartum preparation and spiritual care, should you desire it)

• Attendance at your birth: we will show up to wherever you are laboring within two hours of your call and provide emotional, spiritual and physical support

• Postpartum care: helping you and your community integrate this experience and new reality, while offering with feeding support, the early tasks of adjusting to home life with a new family member and accompanying the transition to your new normal

We support individuals and families through the entire perinatal cycle, no matter if you choose to end your pregnancy, or you experience unexpected loss. You deserve resources, safety, and support. We are a proud member of Rhode Island Abortion Doulas (RAD) and you can contact us directly for abortion doula care, or call the hotline through RAD to access immediate covered support (see insurances covered on our website): 401-305-0615.