Why Red Tent?

A few years back, my mother in law handed a book to me and said "you must read this". It was 'The Red Tent' by Anita Diamant, and it was the best novel I had ever had the pleasure of reading. The author follows the life of a woman in the Bible named Dinah. She was the only daughter of Jacob, sister to 12 boys, and daughter of 4 mothers, Leah, by birth, the other 3 by marriage. It tells the story of this enormous family travelling throughout their country like nomads. They carried a red tent with them wherever they went, and set it up every time they stopped along their way. The purpose of the tent was a refuge, a place for the women in the family to go when they had their monthly cycle, and where they gave birth to their babies. I was struck by the sense of community these women felt, the support they gave to one another in the safety of that tent. My husband jokes that he is going to put a red tent in our backyard for my daughters and I, one of these days!
The reason I chose the name 'Red Tent Doula Services' is that I hope to bring that sense of peace and insight to every birth I attend. It can be difficult to remember the sacred nature of birth amidst the bright lights, sterile environments, and Hollywood ideals that our culture associates with birthing. My goal is to bring that 'red tent' to every birth that I attend, by helping the women I support identify what makes them feel safe and comfortable, and figuring out ways to turn those ideas into the enviroment that will help them give birth with peace and confidence.