'Abortion doulas' offer support to women with nowhere else to turn

Five years ago, Halifax social worker Shannon Hardy began driving women hundreds of kilometres so they could get abortions. They couldn't turn to their families orfriends, so they turned to her for kindness and support.

Next month, Hardywill host her second training workshop for "abortion doulas" volunteers who provide "emotional and practical" support to people who choose to terminate their pregnancies.

Doulasare more commonly associated withthe non-medical areas of pregnancy and childbirth. They canassistin breathing, mindfulness, andanxiety and pain relief.

But Hardy,the founder of Maritime Abortion Support Services, saidfull-spectrum doulasoffer support to anyone going through a time of potential stress or trauma, which is often the case for people havingabortions.

"[An abortion doula] is someone who offers emotional and practical support," saidHardy. "Someone who can talk you through the procedure, talk you through the system, someone who would be with you afterwards if that's what you want."

Hardy works for Adsum House, a Halifax-based shelter that offers support services for women and children. Shelaunched MartimeAbortion Support Services throughFacebook in March of 2012, after recognizing theobstacles inaccessing abortion procedures and information in rural areas.

She began volunteering by picking up pregnant peoplefrom P.E.I., where abortion procedures were unavailable at the time, and driving them to doctorsin Halifax. In the five years since, she saidshe'sgiven support to over 240 clients from around the Maritimes.

Her goal, she said, is to offer "strictly confidential" kindness to anyone who may feel they can't turn to their friends, family or doctors for support.

Currently, there isn't an official certificationprocess for abortiondoulasin Canada, but Hardy said she believes it's only a matter of time before that happens.

Hardysaidabortions are so negatively stigmatizedthat there are few judgment-free areas, especially in smaller communities, for people who choose to have one because ofaccidental pregnancy or rape.

"Ihad a client call me from a rural area in Nova Scotia, they were finding it very difficult to find a provider," she said. "I called a well-women's clinic andIwas told, 'We don't do anything in terms of termination,' and they hung up on me."

Hardy saidshe thinksinstances like these are commonplace, and that abortion doulascan "fill the void."

Ella Vermeirhas beena birth doulafor a year, and is a recent Dalhousie graduate with a masters in health promotion. She was one of seven people who went through Hardy's first training workshop.

She saidnew methods like the abortion-inducing medication Mifegymiso, which could one day be dispensed by pharmacists rather than doctors,may increase the demand for abortion doulas.

"[Abortions are]kind of scary, it is medical in that way.Ifyou're just home by yourself, I can totally imagine why someone would just want someone who's informed about what's going on."

Vermeirsaidher new trainingis going to help her provide better care to all of her birthing clients as well, despite the "polarizing" nature of abortions.

"People may hear the term and automatically be turned off by it, but the core of what we're doing is human beings helping other human beings," says Vermeir.

"I think using the word abortionis very important," said Hardy. "Every time you say it, you take the stigma out of it just a little bit."

Hardy's next training session in May is sold out, but she saidshe'll be holding more. The 14-hour workshop costs $100.

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