This month, we are highlighting our amazing volunteer, Cait Vaughan! Cait is the Full Spectrum Reproductive Support for the organization Birthing Solidarity, as well as a grass-roots organizer, a community-rooted doula, and the lead our recent Cultural Doula spring program training.
Cait first got involved with IHP when another doula in the community reached out to her last Fall seeking birth support for several pregnant residents of the Frances Warde Home. She is grateful for her pairing with a Frances Warde resident from the DRC to accompany her through her labor and the birth of her first child—a beautiful daughter. Despite a language barrier, and with help from a remote interpreter, body language, and labor vocalization, they were able to understand and work closely together through the experience.
Cait’s favorite part of the doula training has been building relationships with women who are passionate about caring for their communities and hold the varied knowledge, lived experiences, and community connections that make them uniquely suited for birthwork.
“The women in this cohort shared so much about their own pregnancy, birth and postpartum experiences, the lessons of which I will carry with me as a doula always. The open-hearted way they discussed deeply personal experiences and shared their hopes for their immigrant communities was moving in every single class…We formed [our own] community,” said Cait.
She is excited to continue to support opportunities of mentoring, ongoing education and community-building that IHP has established. She is also looking forward to being a co-doula for Nuna, whose baby is due in early June! Mostly, she can’t wait to hear about all the births the IHP cultural doulas support and how they grow into their own unique approach to this incredible form of community care.
