Episode 81: Navigating Family Challenges

Navigating family challenges surrounding our clients and their support systems can be challenging for many doulas.

The relationships between our clients and their support systems are nuanced and built over time. As with all relationships, there is often a deep history that we as doulas are not privy to. Helping clients navigate the challenges that family and friends can present is often a huge part of our role.

Giving birth and becoming a parent are emotionally charged transitions. At the same time, it is also an extremely vulnerable state, both emotionally and physically. The people our clients choose to have around them during birth can impact how they view themselves. As a result, those who are present can also result in a client feeling guarded or inhibited.

New parents are faced with judgment and are given unsolicited advice on a daily basis. The pressures to “do it right” are immense. This advice is often well-intentioned, yet family or social pressures can undermine a parent’s self-confidence.

Come join us as we discuss how to navigate family challenges that our clients are often faced with in pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period.