Mary Jo and Ken Ebo had no idea how much help they were going to need – and how much they’d receive – when they learned of Mary Jo’s pregnancy in April 2004. The news came two weeks after Ken received orders to deploy to Iraq with the Marine Corps. It was their fifth attempt at having a child – four previous pregnancies resulted in miscarriage.

With Mr. Ebo in Iraq and no family members within several hundred miles, Mrs. Ebo knew she would need help when her first child arrived. Fortunately, through a program called Operation Special Delivery, a network of doulas providing pro bono services for military families expecting children, Mrs. Ebo was connected with GBMC’s Doula Touch Program.

GBMC’s comprehensive doula program is the only one of its kind in the Baltimore area.  Doulas are non-clinical complements to the medical team; most have raised families of their own and all have completed training through GBMC and Doulas of North America (DONA). Birth doulas join parents in the delivery or operating room to offer massage, relaxation breathing techniques, labor position suggestions and encouragement for traditional deliveries as well as cesarean sections. Postpartum doulas give assistance with breastfeeding tips, infant care, light housekeeping and meal preparation as well as care for the recovering mother.

Upon learning about the Ebos through Operation Special Delivery, Lanny Dowell, GBMC’s Doula Touch Program Coordinator, called the family to offer assistance.

“I explained to Mary Jo all of the services that a doula can provide, both during the child’s birth and for several weeks postpartum, which could be of real benefit to her,” Ms. Dowell recalls. “Our goal is to educate parents, remove some of the uncertainty from the experience and empower them with self-confidence so they can build strong, healthy families,” she adds. “The services we offer are diverse and customizable to each family.”

It was just the kind of support Mrs. Ebo was seeking. “I can’t say enough about GBMC’s doula program,” she says. “They knew my situation and went the extra mile to put me at ease. They even gave me a baby shower and helped connect me with Ken by phone from Iraq during my c-section.”

Mr. Ebo couldn’t agree more, adding, “Being overseas for the birth of our first child, especially after our previous losses, made me feel so helpless. It was an overwhelming relief to know that someone was looking over Mary Jo and Kenneth in my absence.”

Mrs. Ebo credits the Doula Touch Program with helping her new family thrive during a time when so much could have gone wrong, “I will forever be grateful to the entire GBMC community and especially the Doula Touch Program.” 

Stephanie and Oliver Naudo couldn’t be happier with their decision to use a birth doula when they delivered their first child at GBMC in June 2007. “We were nervous about experiencing a natural childbirth with our son, Mattis,” Ms. Naudo explains. She recalls their birth doula, Brenda, as being a calming influence in the delivery room. “Brenda massaged me, helped me to change positions and gave encouragement during contractions.”

For more information about GBMC’s Doula Touch Program, call 443-849-6287 or visit http://www.gbmc.org/parented/doula.cfm.