Episode 78: Doula Advocacy

noun: advocate; plural noun: advocates

/ˈadvəkət/

a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.

“I want my doula to advocate for me.”

When this sentence is spoken by someone seeking a labor doula it often means “speaking for” them. However, we believe that it is not our place to speak for our clients. This belief can ruffle some doula feathers. While we can achieve the same goals, we tend to define advocate and advocacy a bit differently.

We believe that as doulas, we amplify our client’s voices. Speaking for them removes their voice. It assumes that they haven’t changed their mind. Speaking for the client can actually remove their power and silence their voices.

As doulas, we believe that in the birth room, our best method of advocacy is to amplify the client’s voice. We also advocate by reminding clients of what they have expressed to us that they do or do not want. This facilitates the opening of a discussion between the client and their care provider.

Come join us as we discuss the many facets of doula advocacy.