Yesterday, my daughter had a follow up appointment at Children’s Hospital, four hours from our home. I intentionally scheduled it on a day she didn’t have school so she wouldn’t have to miss a day. I scheduled it for early afternoon so we wouldn’t be rushed to get there.

 

My morning started off simple enough. I woke up, showered and got ready, and let the kids sleep in. I started a bubble bath for them and then went to wake them up. When I went to wake my oldest daughter up, I knew something wasn’t right. My little girl was having a seizure.

 

This wasn’t the first time it had happened, but every time it does it is just as scary as the first. I cleaned her up a little and notified our local ER that I would be bringing her in. When we arrived we were greeted by familiar faces. Many of these care providers had taken care of my daughter in the past when she had had seizures.

 

Luckily, this seizure was not one of the worse ones that I have witnessed her having. She was able to talk a little so they just checked her vitals and kept an eye on her. A little over an hour later we were able to leave and get on the road to Omaha.

 

The whole drive there I just kept thinking about something that had happened the night before. Something just didn’t seem right. My daughter had been acting perfectly normal but for some reason the thought crossed my mind that it had been many months since she had had a seizure and I just had this gut feeling that something was going to happen the next morning before we left town.

 

There is such a deep bond between myself, as a mother, and my children. I know many other people who are the same way. These little beings who we have learned about throughout pregnancy, birth, and parenting. I think it is simply amazing to have this “mother’s intuition” or attunement, if you will. Being a parent has allowed me to practice and improve on this skill.

 

Being able to attune to others has helped me professionally, as well. This tool is one of my favorites to use as a doula. It isn’t something that can be pulled out of a bag of tricks. It comes from within.

 

Attunement between a doula and client can be powerful. Sometimes, just by looking in my client’s eyes I can understand exactly what she is needing from me in that moment. Be it massage or a cool washcloth on her forehead, sometimes it is almost like an instinct, to be able to respond to clients needs without her even verbalizing those needs. I am a trained doula and the skills I possess are enough for both myself and my clients.

 

I love being a mother, and I love being a doula. This skill of being able to attune to others around me allows me to excel at both passions.