I have decided that this Wednesday’s Wonder Woman is Ricki Lake.

No, not because of her 90′s chat show (which I did happen to love very much), nor her acting career including her portrayal of Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray, or her role in Serial Mom, but rather because of her advocation towards knowledgable birth and a womans right to choose how SHE wants to give birth – on her own terms.

Her documentary “The Business of Being Born”, included footage and details of Ricki’s own “life-changing” home-birthing experience and followed a midwife going about her work, Ricki described it as her life’s work and expressed hopes that the film educated and empowered people to really know their choices in childbirth.

Ricki also jointly wrote a book on the world of natural childbirth and birthing options, called Your Best Birth and went on to launch website MyBestBirth.com, an online social network, intended to allow parents and medical professionals to express and research varying birthing options and resources.

This whole topic leads me into what this post is really about – introducing my own Mom!

My Mom and I happened to have met Ricki last year, at an intimate talk she was giving at Doula event. My Mom happens to be a Doula (it all makes sense now doesn’t it).  Ricki was so charming and really fights for what she believes in.

Seeing as I am no expert on childbirth, having never gone through it, but having a Mom who practices as a Doula, it has really awakened a lot of options to me and increased my knowledge vastly about the whole affair of giving birth …..

I think this type of information should be available to ALL women, pregnant, trying to get pregnant, mothers looking for better options for their next birth, and well, women like me - hoping to have babies one day, and wanting the knowledge and empowerment to make the right decisions for me and my family right from the start, and not being led by the Medical Profession.

Doula’s, and Families who choose to have a Doula are not shunning the medical profession or midwives at all.  What Doulas help their ‘families’ to realize, is that it is OK to want to stick to your birthing plan, to communicate your birthing plan and arm yourself with knowledge and empowerment. To truly, have your best birth.

I wanted my Mom to write a post just to explain a little more about the profession and the “service” of a Doula, so sometime soon Wednesday’s Wonder Woman will be my Mom and I will be handing my blog over to her – when she has a spare five minutes away from beautiful newborns and their fab Mothers.

My fantastic, brave and clever Mom, who has helped and assisted in the birth of 48 babies so far and assisted countless families during the birth of their children.

For Mamma’s in the USA

For Mamma’s in the UK

Have you ever considered having a Doula for your birth?