What Kind of a Doula am I? ~ Sherel's Philosophy

You may have noticed over the past couple weeks my colleagues have each written a blog post about what their philosophy is of being a doula and supporting birthing families. It is our goal to each contribute on a regular basis to bring our readers information on birth and to help you to get to know us a little better. I guess that I am the procrastinator of our group because I volunteered to go last and I am still down to the deadline trying to get my thoughts down in print.
I think that the most wonderful thing about doulas is that each one is different and has their own philosophy on how they support parents during pregnancy and the birth experience. I think this is wonderful because each family has their own ideas of what kind of birth they will have and what kind of support they will need along the journey. It is so important that expectant parents get the kind of support that works best for them.


I feel that my main role as a doula is education. I have learned from my own births and those that I have attended that good preparation makes a world of difference when a woman is deep in the throes of labor. Even with good preparation there comes a point where having loving and gentle support is the one thing that keeps many women going.

I often wonder when I read the research on birth why so many doctors choose to use so many medical interventions when many studies show the harm of them such as induction and epidurals. Then I hear mothers speak of their own births and how they scheduled an induction because then all of their family could be there and wouldn’t miss work or how mothers would never give birth without an epidural because they are “not that brave”. I have heard this over and over again from mothers who have no enthusiasm about the birth event and are only grateful to have it passed and receive their beautiful healthy babies. I realized that doctors all too often hear this version of birth from the expectant mothers they work with. Expectant mothers who approach birth with fear and trepidation wanting only to be rescued from the pain are the norm in our society. Whereas, those who educate themselves about how they can birth peacefully and beautifully with their bodies doing the work to bring their newborn into the world, are looked at as strange and even crazy.


Birth can be beautiful and peaceful and mothers can show the medical providers that there is another way to give birth without the pain medication and the lithotomy position for pushing. However, it isn’t about educating the doctors and OBs, the research is out there for them to see, it is about educating mothers so that they can choose other options besides medication. Mothers need to be informed that they can birth without fear. If the majority of mothers asked for births without medication and asked to be upright during pushing and for freedom to move during labor, the medical system would change. The evidence would be there for all doctors and L & D nurses to see and mothers would go on to be advocates for natural, un-medicated birth.


This is why I feel that as a doula I need to make the option available for all women to have the resources to be in charge of their own births. I feel that pregnant mothers are given 9 + months to prepare themselves and their minds and bodies for the birth event. My role is to help families to educate themselves in choosing the best birth for them and to choose the right support people. I do not feel that I need to be present for every woman’s birth as birth is very sacred and women need people surrounding them that they are comfortable with. I have seen firsthand the difference that a doula can make who is sensitive to the needs and comfort of all who are present. I know that having a doula at birth in the hospital can keep a woman from fighting her body and help birth to progress more smoothly. However, I feel that birth in the hospital can change if enough women are educated about their bodies before entering the hospital. That is my goal as a doula and someday as a midwife, my desire is to see mothers who ask for change in birth and reject medication for themselves and their babies.

My birth philosophy is that I want to be there for all women of all ages and with all histories and give them the tools that they need to experience a beautiful and fulfilling birth experience so that they will share their stories with those around them so that someday the landscape of birth will change and babies will come into the world free of fear and ready for the adventure that is life.

My Doula Philosophy - Michelle's Musings

As I sit before my computer screen today, I'm drawing a bit of a blank.  It is not because I cannot describe the concrete aspects of my doula "philosophy," as it were.  No, it is because what I believe about work as a doula is based on more than studies, books, papers, classes, etc.  For me, work as a doula is work of the heart.  In a recent workshop, Barbara Harper mentioned that the word doula is not entirely accurate.  Our work is not to really do anything, rather it is to be.  My greatest joy in practice is simply being present for a family on the most beautiful, emotional, spiritual day of their lives.  Holding the space for a mother and her partner to welcome a child is a blessing.  We, as doulas or birthing companions, are honoured to bear witness to miracles.

Through the education that we are continuously pursuing, doulas and other birth workers learn how conception, pregnancy, birthing and postpartum experiences shape the life of the mother, the child and the entire family unit.  We learn about the concrete - such as the use of interventions in birthing; how medications during labor can effect baby, mom and the breastfeeding relationship; the importance of skin-to-skin contact immediately following birth and how it initiates the stimulation of vital neurons in the child and hormones in the mother, etc.  The list goes on and on.  But, I feel that to overlook the emotional and spiritual aspects of birthing is to deny its full power.  I believe that conscious conception, a connected pregnancy, and an understanding of the way baby and mother work together during birthing and breastfeeding is as much a part of childbirth preparation as are prenatal care, nutrition and an understanding of the physiology of labor and birth.  Conception, pregnancy and birth are more than women's issues, they are family issues.  It is this wholistic view that inspires us to support informed choices, integration of any spiritual or religious views, and the intrinsic values belonging to each particular family we work with.  Birth belongs to the family!

I also believe that birthing does not have to be painful.  Birth is a natural process that the female body was designed for.  The uterus is a muscle just like those in our arms, legs, etc.  It does not only function during birthing, but also during menstruation and during sexual intimacy.  Certainly, when one experiences pleasure with one's partner, it is not a painful sensation; therefore, why should birthing be any different? One word: fear.  We must work to eliminate the fear of birthing.  I believe that, as Franklin D. Roosevelt once stated, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."  We do not fear connecting intimately with our partners.  We do not fear a sneeze.  We do not fear blinking, breathing, the beat of our hearts...no other natural function of our bodies is met with fear other than birthing.  Interestingly, in cultures where women live in more rural communities and are not connected as readily to media - there is much less fear and anxiety about birthing.  Why?  Because birthing is seen as a natural part of life and an emergence of a soul, rather than a medical emergency.

Hearkening back to the beginning of my musings, when I work with a birthing family, I always try to lead with my heart.  Occasionally, a doula (myself most definitely included) may get caught up in relaying all of the facts and necessary practical information, but as time passes, she learns more about herself and the kind of doula she aspires to be.  Knowledge, not only of the mind but also of the spirit, increases with experience.  I have seen births go so smoothly, that they are literally seamless.  I have also seen special circumstances occur, where medicine has truly worked miracles.  I have seen mothers embrace the power of their birthings and gain confidence that translates throughout their lives.  I have also cried silently while holding a grieving mother.

I can give scientific data and clinical references to birthing families; but, without lending my heart, I will not have given what is truly needed.

With Love,
Michelle

My Doula Philosophy - Kaitlin

I believe in every woman's ability to birth in the way she wants! Every woman should be allowed to birth however and wherever she pleases and no one should tell her differently.  I strongly believe that as a doula, I am there to support my client without judgment or telling her what to do or what is right from wrong.  I will gladly share any information, techniques and advice but at the end of the day it is not my birth but hers.  I believe every women knows her body best and what she is able to handle and what she is not able to handle.  I am there to provide her as much support and techniques to relieve pain but it is ultimately her choice in how she wants to birth whether that be in a pool, in bed, at home, with or without pain medication and otherwise.  The other thing I think is important to keep in mind is that there is a tremendous mind-body connection.  While labor is definitely very physical, where you are in your mind can have a huge effect on how your labor progresses.  A large part of a doula's job is to help a woman feel safe and comfortable.  It does not mean that there will not be any pain.  But if the energy in the room is good, the woman feels that her wishes are being respected and that she is coping well with the contractions, it makes her feel more relaxed and helps her progress in her labor.  I feel that every women should be allowed to have the birth she wants!