By Josh Jennings
HEALTH
For doula Angela Gallo, doubling as a photographer at a number of births she attends doesn't only amount to some poignant ground-level photos; it also enriches her perspective on being a doula, she says.
Angela Gallo has made a colourful career out of being a doula.
"I am paying closer to attention to her [the woman in labour] breath... and often the lens gives me an opportunity to analyse myself, my intentions and my purpose," says Gallo. "That changes with every birth, every woman and every photograph." Gallo, who typically oversees a maximum of three births per month, helps the mothers she works with choose the right care model and provider, acquire coping techniques for the intensities of labour, address anxieties and fears and evaluate their notions of the meaning of birth.
A typical working week might throw up anything from a phone call in the middle of the night from an apprehensive mother-to-be to a pre-natal consultation to business-focused tasks such as marketing and networking.
Gallo says the intensity of her job is compounded by the emotional commitment she inevitably makes to her clients. Her goal is essentially to enable expectant mothers to have safe and fulfilling birthing experiences.
"I just want everyone I work with to feel happy," she says. "If I can do this, it will inevitably ripple out into how she bonds with her baby, how she breastfeeds and how she recovers emotionally and physically." Gallo completed her certificate in professional labour support with Australian Doulas in 2014. Since, she has received mentorship and undertaken additional professional development coursework.
But prior to becoming a doula, the feedback she received about the job wasn't rosy; she listened to cautionary accounts about the on-call lifestyle, the draining nature of the work and the sacrifices she'd have to make to time spent with her own family.
Her own experience has been contrary, however. She says she's differentiated herself from some doulas she encountered early on by applying business savvy to her career. She's grown her business exponentially, created a crowdfunding campaign to bankroll the writing of her own book, created a strong digital presence and established a birth business mentorship program.
Some of her fondest achievements in the last year include earning an honourable mention in the Photo of the Year competition with the International Association of Birth Photographers and appearing in a segment on US TV show The Doctors after publishing a viral blog post on birthing practices.
"The last year has been a roller coaster of amazing experiences," she says. "I am happy with every single one. No matter how small or big... it all feels like an achievement of epic proportions."