"As a doula course leader (Mindful Doulas), I regularly point out to prospective students applying to my programme, the questionable issue of ‘training’ as a requisite. Despite suggesting that, as doulas, we are simply women supporting women, mothers supporting mothers, they mostly still feel that they would prefer to do some preparation work. I often wonder how much this stems more from a generic lack of belief in their own abilities, as women, as mothers, as birthers even, than from a genuine desire for knowledge. In addition, these women are frequently under the impression that they are not ‘allowed’ to work as doulas until they have undertaken a ‘training’ course or acquired a ‘qualification’. While this is clearly not the case, in the light of such anxieties it might seem appropriate that a certain level of learning and support is provided for new doulas, over and above their personal experience. Perhaps more significantly, the new doula should have the opportunity to begin to debrief and reflect on her own birth and parenting journeys within a safe environment.
Many tears have been shed as buried emotions re-surface during our course workshops. Comments such as “I have never told my birth story to someone who really wanted to listen before”, “I thought I had processed all my grief, yet there is still more in there”, are common. Without taking the time to acknowledge, process and debrief from traumatic birth or mothering experiences in particular, new doulas may carry their unresolved issues into the birthspace or ‘babymoon’ of another mother or family. Not only is this inappropriate to the supportive role, the doula is also vulnerable to continuing to attract situations which mirror her own unfinished issues until she makes a commitment to addressing them within herself. Working as a doula is not about the doula, it is about the mothers, fathers and families she supports. A doula who does not take care of herself is not only unable to wholly support others, but she also runs the real risk of burning herself out.
There are a few women who may endeavour to commence doula work from a deep personal (albeit unconscious) need for emotional support themselves, and for whom it may not be immediately possible to resolve their own issues to the point at which they are ready to doula for other women. A doula course can be a way of identifying these women, and it is the course leader’s responsibility not only to the student but also to the public, to support them to find the safest direction for their doula journey at this point. This might mean that the novice doula takes some time out to reflect and nurture herself, with a view to perhaps becoming emotionally strong enough to offer doula support at a later date."
"There is no finite, standardised system for the preparation of doulas, which may be seen as a positive situation, for if the ideal is that there is a doula for everyone, so diversity in her learning and experience is surely the key. Wherever she resides, a woman coming into doula work would be well advised to choose her preparation course carefully, ensuring that the philosophy behind it resonates with the way she lives her life and that the programme leader is sympathetic to the true essence of the doula. Given her inherent nature to ‘be’ rather than to ‘do’, it could be suggested that a course based on honouring the “celebration of childbirth” and parenting with humility and integrity, where the student is encouraged to work in a way that mirrors ongoing reflection and commitment to service and community, would seem preferable. Mindfulness of the course leader’s attitude towards financial gain and approach to marketing and how this sits with the ethics of doula work, may also be advisable.
In the same way that a birth or a breastfeed cannot be rushed, neither is it compatible for the doula to push for work. Aggressive marketing and any notion that there are opportunities for financial profit to be made from doula work contradict the entire doula ethos. If the key to her role lies in her continuity of support and the mother’s trust in her integrity, the doula will take care to ensure that she is available at all times within their agreed boundaries. .... While, as doula and course leader Maddie McMahon concurs, providing ‘shared’ care with another local doula, whether for birth or postnatal work, can be a satisfying and successful experience for all concerned, it is only acceptable when the mother (and her
partner) has consented from the start, has met with both her doulas throughout and is in no doubt that the reliability of the support she is offered will not be compromised. If bringing community back to childbirth is an integral part of the essence of the doula, for her to venture outside her own community to seek work in an area that is already covered by more local doulas, on the basis of milking a potential business opportunity, may also be considered unethical. Indeed, there seems little doubt that the dynamic of doula-ing changes when a doula is chasing money. As experienced doula Linda Quinn advises her novices: “If you don’t click with the parents at that first interview, you should walk away,” for through lack of feeling some deep care towards her client, the integrity of the doula’s role is surely lost."
"Overall, a doula preparation course is perhaps as much about the doula pursuing her own inner journey as it is about initiating her vocation as a birth or postnatal companion. It is about encouraging a reflective attitude and community spirit, a presence of mind and careful action and nurturing the confidence that it is enough just to be herself. These are qualities and, indeed, lifelong lessons for which no academic qualification or professional certification can assume to guarantee. .. Further detailed discussion on doula education is provided in Part 1. 3. UK ‘brand’ of doula and 4. The wider doula community."
Extracts quoted from Gentle Birth Companions: doulas serving humanity (2010), all material copyright of Adela Stockton. See also Doula-Midwife Relationship posts.
Many tears have been shed as buried emotions re-surface during our course workshops. Comments such as “I have never told my birth story to someone who really wanted to listen before”, “I thought I had processed all my grief, yet there is still more in there”, are common. Without taking the time to acknowledge, process and debrief from traumatic birth or mothering experiences in particular, new doulas may carry their unresolved issues into the birthspace or ‘babymoon’ of another mother or family. Not only is this inappropriate to the supportive role, the doula is also vulnerable to continuing to attract situations which mirror her own unfinished issues until she makes a commitment to addressing them within herself. Working as a doula is not about the doula, it is about the mothers, fathers and families she supports. A doula who does not take care of herself is not only unable to wholly support others, but she also runs the real risk of burning herself out.
There are a few women who may endeavour to commence doula work from a deep personal (albeit unconscious) need for emotional support themselves, and for whom it may not be immediately possible to resolve their own issues to the point at which they are ready to doula for other women. A doula course can be a way of identifying these women, and it is the course leader’s responsibility not only to the student but also to the public, to support them to find the safest direction for their doula journey at this point. This might mean that the novice doula takes some time out to reflect and nurture herself, with a view to perhaps becoming emotionally strong enough to offer doula support at a later date."
"There is no finite, standardised system for the preparation of doulas, which may be seen as a positive situation, for if the ideal is that there is a doula for everyone, so diversity in her learning and experience is surely the key. Wherever she resides, a woman coming into doula work would be well advised to choose her preparation course carefully, ensuring that the philosophy behind it resonates with the way she lives her life and that the programme leader is sympathetic to the true essence of the doula. Given her inherent nature to ‘be’ rather than to ‘do’, it could be suggested that a course based on honouring the “celebration of childbirth” and parenting with humility and integrity, where the student is encouraged to work in a way that mirrors ongoing reflection and commitment to service and community, would seem preferable. Mindfulness of the course leader’s attitude towards financial gain and approach to marketing and how this sits with the ethics of doula work, may also be advisable.
In the same way that a birth or a breastfeed cannot be rushed, neither is it compatible for the doula to push for work. Aggressive marketing and any notion that there are opportunities for financial profit to be made from doula work contradict the entire doula ethos. If the key to her role lies in her continuity of support and the mother’s trust in her integrity, the doula will take care to ensure that she is available at all times within their agreed boundaries. .... While, as doula and course leader Maddie McMahon concurs, providing ‘shared’ care with another local doula, whether for birth or postnatal work, can be a satisfying and successful experience for all concerned, it is only acceptable when the mother (and her
partner) has consented from the start, has met with both her doulas throughout and is in no doubt that the reliability of the support she is offered will not be compromised. If bringing community back to childbirth is an integral part of the essence of the doula, for her to venture outside her own community to seek work in an area that is already covered by more local doulas, on the basis of milking a potential business opportunity, may also be considered unethical. Indeed, there seems little doubt that the dynamic of doula-ing changes when a doula is chasing money. As experienced doula Linda Quinn advises her novices: “If you don’t click with the parents at that first interview, you should walk away,” for through lack of feeling some deep care towards her client, the integrity of the doula’s role is surely lost."
"Overall, a doula preparation course is perhaps as much about the doula pursuing her own inner journey as it is about initiating her vocation as a birth or postnatal companion. It is about encouraging a reflective attitude and community spirit, a presence of mind and careful action and nurturing the confidence that it is enough just to be herself. These are qualities and, indeed, lifelong lessons for which no academic qualification or professional certification can assume to guarantee. .. Further detailed discussion on doula education is provided in Part 1. 3. UK ‘brand’ of doula and 4. The wider doula community."
Extracts quoted from Gentle Birth Companions: doulas serving humanity (2010), all material copyright of Adela Stockton. See also Doula-Midwife Relationship posts.
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