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Doula Byte: Empowerment
Let’s talk about empowerment! This is a doula byte do you do not want to miss! Can someone who lacks empowerment in their own life empower another? We recognize that birth as an individual’s sacred moment. An experience that lasts a lifetime. A powerful experience where there are no do-overs. It’s a story that they will tell again and again. Yet when a birth worker is carrying trauma from their own experience they can’t effectively help another have an empowering experience of their own. If you are dealing with your own past experience, you can’t be fully present for the client that you are serving. There is a tendency among…
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Episode 12: What We Are Taught: Why It Matters
What we are taught as doulas shapes the way we move within the birth world. It shapes how we interact with providers, nurses and other complementary professionals. On this episode, we discuss the history of what doulas have been taught and why it matters. The messages that doulas were taught have influenced how providers perceive doulas. It hasn’t always been positive. Some doula organizations teach doulas to set themselves apart from the providers. Even going as far as to tell doulas to not interact with providers. Be a fly on the wall. Doulas have also been taught to not discuss their own experiences with their clients. When building a relationship…
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Episode 11: Doulas and Insurance
Today we bring you a double shot of round table talk about doulas and insurance. First up we take a look at insurance coverage for doula services. The desire to have health insurance cover the cost of doula care is a popular one in the doula community. However, when doulas join a managed health care system, this comes with regulation, restrictions and allowing someone else to see our fees. As we’ve recently seen in New York state, covering doula care in a state healthcare system comes with problems. There is a fee to participate. The state sets the fee and what services the doula must provide. Most concerningly, the state…
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Episode 10: Unassisted Homebirth
In this episode, we take a look at unassisted homebirth. As doulas, it is important for us to understand why families decide to have an unassisted homebirth. Giving birth at home without the assistance of a medical professional. Fear of litigation often limits the options that providers are willing to provide. Families in search of options that fall outside the medical norms often feel left with no choice but to explore options outside of the medical system. It is also important for us to understand the potential risks of being involved in an unassisted birth. Are you willing to stand by in an emergency? Can you remain in a doula’s…
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Episode 9: Creating Boundaries As Birth Workers
Let’s talk about boundaries. As a birth worker, it is important that we establish boundaries. One of the most important boundaries to establish are those surrounding the use of social media. While we may use social media as a tool to promote our businesses, there are some potential pitfalls to doing so as well. Even in large communities, sharing photos, tagging a location, using hashtags and talking about the client’s experience can disclose identifying information. As birth professionals protecting client privacy & confidentiality is an important part of what we do. Boundaries are an ever-evolving part of our work. Boundaries around social media. Setting boundaries around when you schedule client…
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Episode 8: Nonjudgmental Support
In recent years the phrase nonjudgmental support has become a buzzword in the birth community. As birth professionals, we know that language matters. Yet our implicit and explicit biases can often cause us to express judgment. Even when we do not intend to do so. Today we discuss nonjudgmental support with Kristyn Blocher. Nonjudgmental support is unconditional. Often we hear a birth professional say “I provide nonjudgmental support as long as my client is making an informed decision”. Statements such as these apply conditions to the support we give. The reality is that people make decisions based on different criteria. Only as mall percentage will make decisions based on all…
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Episode 7: Childless Doulas
Doulas who do not have children. Some call themselves childless others identify as childfree. There is longstanding insecurity in the doula community and it is one that is often deeply personal. It involves a topic that is intensely intimate and one that often defines individuals to others. There’s no denying that there are biases that exist in the doula industry against doulas who do not have children. Both from other doulas, doula trainers and potential clients alike. In today’s episode, we sit down with two doulas who do not have children. We discuss the common insecurity among doulas who don’t have children. How can they support clients without having a…
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Episode 6: On-Call Life
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live the on-call life of a birth worker? Are you a birth worker who is finding navigating the realities of on-call life a challenge? On this episode, we discuss the ins and outs of navigating the on-call life of a birth worker. When you are a birth worker on-call you have to find a balance between being “on edge” and being ready to go at any moment and living your day to day life. Learning how to manage your time when you get the “We might need you soon call, ” and not staying in a high energy, high adrenaline state is…
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Episode 5: Grandparent Support
Let’s talk about grandparent support. Are you providing grandparent support in your practice? As doulas, we are most commonly known for the support that we provide to the birthing person and their partners. But we also support others who are present in the lives of our clients. Most notably, the grandparents. In our work with grandparents, we have come to understand that grandparents really want to do what is best for their grandchildren. Yet there is a distinct lack of up-to-date information made available specifically to grandparents today. Even when information is available it often contradicts what grandparents did with their own children. When expectant or new parents try to…
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Episode 4: Supporting Infant Feeding
Are you ready to take a deep dive into the world of infant feeding? Grab a chair and a cuppa and let’s get started! As doulas, so often the little education we receive during our training is focused on supporting one type of infant feeding method. Breastfeeding. We learn how to properly position a baby at the breast and how to look for a good latch. Sometimes we are taught about common red flags and how to help clients resolve them. Postpartum training goes a bit deeper into feeding. Yet it often lacks the delivery of a comprehensive approach to assist clients with other feeding issues. At the end of…
