When Hollie Lou, a woman from Ohio, USA, became a mother for the third time last year, she needed support and emotional support from those around her. She had an impressive team of doctors with her, but also her 9-year-old son, Charlie, who always stayed by his mother’s side and assisted her throughout the labor. He even assisted the doctors throughout the birth.

Hollie says she didn’t for one second ask her son to be by her side during the birth, it was his initiative. “Boys are rarely given the opportunity to do such things. Birth and breastfeeding are completely natural things, so when my boys asked me to be with me when I gave birth, I agreed. You have so much to learn when a baby comes into the world, I didn’t want them to miss this opportunity,” said Hollie, who also has a boy two years younger than Charlie.

The woman says that she prepared the boy for this moment and that they watched all kinds of birth materials together. Charlie even attended a childbirth preparation class, which helped him better understand what his mother’s body goes through throughout labor. Basically, Charlie took the place of a doula, being a real support not only for his mother but also for his newborn sister.