Stamford doula shares experience with serial pregnancy faker on BBC World Service and CBC’s podcast The Con: Kaitlyn’s Baby

A doula who was conned by a serial pregnancy faker has shared her story on a crime podcast.

Verina Henchy, from Stamford, has spoken out about her experience on a new podcast launched by BBC World Service and CBC called ‘The Con: Kaitlyn’s Baby’.

The podcast delves into the story and motives of Kaitlyn Braun from Ontario, Canada who repeatedly lied to the birthing partners she hired, claiming she was in labour or carrying a child that had already died inside.

She conned dozens of doulas - people who offer non-medical support to women through pregnancy, labour and birth - by asking for support through catastrophe after catastrophe, including haemorrhaging, surgery, a terminal diagnosis and a sexual assault.

After it was uncovered it was all a lie, she was sentenced for a number of charges including harassment and fraudulently seeking the services of numerous doulas.

Verina was targeted by a different woman but her story, which she detailed in a blog, was picked up by podcast producers for its strange parallels to Kaitlyn’s ruse.

Verina, 65, said: “I couldn’t believe how many similarities there were.”

In 2020 she was contacted by a woman claiming to be in early labour at 39 weeks pregnant and had her home birth plans scuppered by the pandemic, but because of her husband’s health going into hospital was not an option.

The Lincolnshire-based doula agreed to help the woman, who said she was called Jess, for free by ‘virtual support’ over the phone and by video calls, and was sent photographic evidence labour had begun.

Verina spent hours on the phone coaching her through ‘labour’ before she heard the sound of a newborn cry. She also exchanged messages with the woman’s husband and midwives.

During the following week, Verina’s level of support intensified as she was told the baby had a congenital heart disease and would die.

Verina said: “The main similarity was the escalation of the crisis - that was a common feature.

“It’s as if to get you really concerned, which is what we universally experienced as doulas.”

Verina was spending most of her waking minutes in contact with Jess and, feeling exhausted and worried, sought support from her mentor and fellow doulas.

But her story wasn’t unique. Jess had conducted the same scam on other doulas.

“Doulas turn to each other for support, we have a very good community,” she said.

“I was letting off steam to my mentor and it was her who spotted it could be fake.

“It wasn’t a possibility on my radar that it wasn’t genuine until she suggested I do a couple of safety checks.”

Concerned about Jess’ mental health and the effect the scam had on others, Verina reported the incident to the police but nothing was done.

After Verina ‘unfogged’ her brain and it became clear Jess was a repeat offender, she detailed her experience in a blog as a way of warning other doulas.

Verina said: “My initial feeling was of concern, then fear and then a feeling of being violated.

“I cleaned my house from top to bottom and checked the locks - it felt as though someone entered my personal space.

“I worried she would come in person.”

Raising awareness was the reason she agreed to speak to Canadian journalist Sarah Treleaven, host of The Con: Kaitlyn’s Baby.

She also spoke to a psychologist as part of their research into Munchausen by internet syndrome.

Munchausen is a mental disorder where someone pretends to be sick or intentionally causes symptoms of illness, and the internet enables people to make these claims and easily access information to make their story seem realistic.

Claiming to have continual dramatic events in their life and reports of severe symptoms can often be a sign.

Verina has not let her negative experience get in the way of helping other women - although she has introduced extra identity checks ahead of offering her support.

Since becoming a doula 14 years ago, she has helped with the births of 112 babies and offered support to hundreds more women across South Lincolnshire, North Cambridgeshire and East Northamptonshire.

“I love the job of working with women at a point when they are at their strongest and most vulnerable,” she said.

She is also a trainer and mentor to other doulas and offers hypnobirthing classes.