Episode 42: Postpartum Doulas: Client Choice

When working with postpartum clients, the choices they may make surrounding the care and keeping of their babies can challenge postpartum doulas. Those hot button parenting topics such as cosleeping, vaccination, circumcision, and breast versus bottle can be particularly challenging for doulas. Especially when the doula has their own strong opinions about these topics. 

Yet as postpartum doulas, we may be the very first person that a family encounters that does not judge or give an unasked opinion on their parenting choices.

Identifying and drawing our own professional boundaries is essential when working with families. Knowing how to communicate those boundaries can be a learning process.

It is a reality that clients will make choices for their babies that are not based on health and safety recommendations. As parents, this is their right. On the other hand, how does the doula communicate in a nonjudgmental manner to the client the need for the doula to adhere to professional standards surrounding infant health and safety?

Come join us as we tackle this complicated and often emotion-driven topic.