Each week, a team of doulas enters the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility to care for women who find themselves pregnant while incarcerated. This week, they met with seven moms whose lives have been affected by incarceration. Three of these moms are separated from their little ones, one almost a year old, one a couple of months old, and one a teeny preemie alone in a NICU unit. Four of the moms await the arrival of their little ones, knowing that in six short hours after their birth, they will be separated from their precious babies. During the four hours that the doulas are in prison, they are given the gift of a short segment of time to encourage these moms, pray for them, and bring support to their lives.
One of the moms they met with this week met the New Horizons family that would be caring for her child. The doulas were able to pray with her before the meeting and afterward found that she was so relieved because she knew that her child would be cared for by someone who really cares about her and her child.
The doulas were able to show the expecting moms a video of a birth and leave them excited for the miracle of birth. Many of these women have never had someone to teach them what a good birth experience could be like, so to have someone walk with them through this journey will completely change their perspective.
After visiting with the moms, they make a stop at the hospital to visit the baby in the NICU and speak the name of Jesus over her and sing songs of love to her. Every time the doulas enter the correctional facility, they ask to be the hands and feet of Jesus. As they care for these women in one of the most difficult places of their lives, they not only give them tools for their daily lives but also the unconditional love and mercy of Jesus.