12:00pm Friday 16th October 2009
By Amie Mulderrig
A mother-of-two from Abbots Langley has been presented with a national award by American chat show host Ricki Lake for her work to support expectant mothers.
Kicki Hansard has been working as a doula – someone who offers practical and emotional support to pregnant women before, during and after the birth of their child – since 2002.
She has now been crowned Doula of the Year, after she was nominated for the prize by one of her clients.
Mrs Hansard, 38, of Kindersley Way, but originally from Sweden, said: “I’ve worked as a doula for quite some time now and hardly anyone knows what it is we do.
“A doula is someone who provides support to pregnant women, sometimes acting as a birthing partner, but mainly we’re there to listen and let women know that they have lots of options open to them, lots of choices.
“The misconception is that we offer support to just single mothers who don’t have partners but that simply isn’t the case - many of my clients are in relationships, but just need the extra support.
“We don’t offer advice or tell them what to do, we’re just here to listen and provide information, because having a baby can be daunting.”
Nominated by Alison Sarah, who spotted an advertisement in Pregnancy & Birth magazine for Doula of the Year, Mrs Hansard, who also acts as a mentor and trainer for Nurturing Birth, said she was shocked when she found out she had won.
Pipping more than 90 entries to the post at a London ceremony, she was handed a Mark Fenn-designed necklace with the doula symbol adorning it, by chat show host Ricki Lake at the beginning of October.
She said: “When I found out that I had won, I was completely and utterly overwhelmed. I really couldn’t believe it.
“Ricki Lake, a doula herself, was really kind and handed me this beautiful silver necklace with purple stones.
“Many people ask what the doula motif symbolises and it varies. Some think it looks like a mother and baby together or a mother’s pregnant stomach.”
Alongside Ricki Lake, guests were entertained by a number of famous speakers including Janey Lee Grace of Radio 2, MC Jane Garvey of Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and James McQuillan from the BBC’s The Apprentice.
The ceremony, which was organised to celebrate the work of doulas, was also arranged to raise awareness and money for the Hardship Fund, in the hope that everyone can be provided with doulas.
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