Last Saturday evening, The Paris End had a midwinter soirée. We invited four of our favourite writers to report on a scene of their choice, the transcripts of which we’ll be publishing over the next fortnight.
Disclaimer: Because we were drinking, we cannot vouch for the veracity of these reports. These were told in the spirit of a good yarn—true enough, but perhaps not entirely factual.
Here’s the first instalment featuring cultural critic and new mum, Tara Kenny, alongside playwright and renegade zoomer, Aubrey Wang.
Tara Kenny on the Doula Scene
When I found out I was pregnant, I was so excited to finally experience the most singular and transformative relationship that exists in this life: the sacred bond between millennial Melbourne mum-to-be and doula. For the uninitiated, doulas are birth guides who provide support throughout pregnancy, birth, and beyond. This may include emotional reassurance, rerouting a panicked partner in the birthing suite, or capturing the moment the baby crowns to Laraaji.
As a coddled, cosmopolitan layabout, I generally prefer to take the easy way out. But when I found myself with child, it was already too late to outsource the labour, Kardashian style. I needed a seasoned professional to help me rebrand the biological inevitability that awaited me at the end of nine months: less mediaeval horror, more chic, curated lifestyle experience that would deliver awe-inspiring birth story content. I needed a doula, that was obvious. But how to find the right one?
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