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 Birth is not only about making babies, birth is about making mothers—strong,
competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner-strength. --Barbara Katz Rothman
Rain, after
all is only rain; it is not bad weather. So also, pain is only pain; unless we
resist it, then it becomes torment. --I
Ching A birth doula is a person trained and experienced in childbirth who
provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to
the mother before, during and just after childbirth. Here is a link to a rather tongue-in cheek blogger that explains why doulas are not just for the 'super crunchy' people in our culture! And here's another put up by a woman who was helped by a doula, and wanted to push back against the idea many people have the barefoot, patchouli wearing, hemp weaving hippie doula, and to show that there are doulas who do roller derby, get tattoos, are feminists, are christian, are wholesome, and are gutsy. Whoever you are, there is a doula just like youout there, waiting to help you through labor.
I am a certified birth Doula through DONA International. I abide by the standards of practice and code of ethics they set forth. Click the above link for the DONA Position Paper and more information.
You are assisting at someone else's birth. Do good without show or fuss. Facilitate what is happening rather than what you think ought to be happening. If you must take the lead, lead so that the mother is helped, yet still free and in charge. When the baby is born, the mother will rightly say: 'We did it ourselves...!' " -- Lao Tzu, from The Tao Te Ching, C. 500 B.C.
When
we as women take back our power to birth and to live as whole human
beings, then we have become VBACs--Very Beautiful And Courageous women. ~Lynne Baptisti-Richards
Four points on the work of a Doula A doula gives emotional, physical, informational, spiritual support and empowerment to a family. They are not medical professionals, but professional labor assistants. - Physical support means they are trained in labor-specific comfort measures and know how to handle different types of pain, such as back labor, labor pains into the legs, and much more. A doula can support you into different positions to aid in baby’s descent, to relieve pain, to speed things along, or work to get a transverse or posterior baby to ‘flip’.
- Moms and dads are busy working in labor, and often don’t have the time or attention to ask the questions they need of the doctor while s/he is in the room. A Doula can answer questions, help you make decisions, and ask for more time with the doctor if and when it is needed.
- Spiritually, Doulas manage the mood and environment of the birth room, and do what they can to keep mom focused and dad/partner relaxed so this is a positive emotional rite of passage and as happy and fearless an experience as possible.
- Doula empowerment comes from the nurturing, the support, and the ease in which you are allowed to labor and deliver. Removing fear and stress from a birth can transform it from a difficult life event, to a beautiful, emotionally uplifting, confidence-building day that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Doulas nurture, protect, mother, guide, and serve laboring families.
I
can be reached at DivaDoula@gmail.com or at 708-351-0935. I strive to
return calls within a few hours, but please be patient. I give my
laboring moms all the time they need, and will return your call or
email as soon as I can. |
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