World Doula Week is here and every year, I kinda freak out a week or so before it starts. It feels like I am supposed to be doing something extra to support the goal of the week, which is to: "empower doulas all over the world to improve the physiological, social, emotional, and psychological health of women, newborns and families in birth and in the postpartum period." While I am totally on board for this goal, I gotta say, this is what I bust my butt doing every day along with all the other people who have chosen birth work as their career. I sit in the quandry of just how to do this better DAILY.
The number one problem that I have as a doula is that most people don't know about or totally understand our work. And, it is hard for me to address this problem without it coming off as a sales-pitch. I can't walk up to a pregnant lady on the street and hand her my card. (Some people do this... but... I just can't. I certainly don't think it is a winning marketing strategy.) Even if I did hand my card out freely and sing from the hills at parties and about how awesome doulas are, I don't think I'd be convincing anyone of anything. I am a doula; of course I think what we do is important. No one is surprised.
So, what is supposed to happen this week? I have an idea I'd like to try out... I think it is time for our clients to take the baton for a lap. We need more people talking about doulas to their families, friends and co-workers. It carries so much more weight when someone who is not a doula strongly recommends working with one.
In that spirit, I would like to testify about my own experience working with a doula.
My doula, Julie, was a totally essential part of my birth experience. It took a long time for my first daughter to be born, and so members of the team needed naps, meals and other forms of self-care. But, I was honestly surprised that I needed someone to hold my hand during each and every contraction. Even though I had attended so many births, I still needed my doula to keep me from becoming scared as the hours and days passed. I needed companionship, reassurance, someone to make me laugh, someone to remind me why I was working so hard. It was wonderful to have my partner with me for the birth of our daughter, but he was not able to be all that I needed while still taking care of himself and being fully present for the birth of our child. Having Julie along for the ride made it possible for us to both do what we needed to do to get through those long days. In the end, I don't remember how hard it was... I remember how joyful and supported I felt. I suspect that I could have done it without Julie, but I don't even want to think about what that would have been like. Julie held the doubt and fear back so that there was room for joy.
You see, even a doula needs a doula.
While I keep trying to figure out how to solve our awareness problem, we could really use some help-- and not just from my own clients who already do a stellar job keeping my practice thriving with referrals. We need as many of our past clients as possible to turn towards the people in your own life and tell your own story so that people can start to understand what it means to have a doula. The change in awareness needs to happen on a cultural level. The first time a person hears about a doula should not be when they are pregnant. Our stories about doulas should not just be passed from pregnant person to pregnant person, in whispers. Tell your grandma! Tell your dentist!
Help us bust all the myths out there about us and reach our true potential. All kinds of people work with doulas! Doulas love to work in hospitals! There is a doula for everyone! Doulas can support any kind of birth experience! Doulas can support any kind of pregnancy experience! Everyone deserves a doula!!!
Please consider doing one or all of the following:
*talking to your pregnant friends about your experience working with a doula;
*sharing this blog post with your friends;
*talking about doulas with non-pregnant people when you see an opportunity;
*posting on facebook about what your doula did for you;
*posting a testimonial about your doula on doulamatch or some other referral page;
* and, sure, you can give your doula another high-five.
No matter what tack you take, doing these things doula community face our number one hurdle head on. Open up and tell someone in your own voice what having a doula meant to you. If you need to warm up, go ahead and start by leaving a comment here about your experience. I'd love to hear about it!
The number one problem that I have as a doula is that most people don't know about or totally understand our work. And, it is hard for me to address this problem without it coming off as a sales-pitch. I can't walk up to a pregnant lady on the street and hand her my card. (Some people do this... but... I just can't. I certainly don't think it is a winning marketing strategy.) Even if I did hand my card out freely and sing from the hills at parties and about how awesome doulas are, I don't think I'd be convincing anyone of anything. I am a doula; of course I think what we do is important. No one is surprised.
So, what is supposed to happen this week? I have an idea I'd like to try out... I think it is time for our clients to take the baton for a lap. We need more people talking about doulas to their families, friends and co-workers. It carries so much more weight when someone who is not a doula strongly recommends working with one.
In that spirit, I would like to testify about my own experience working with a doula.
My doula, Julie, was a totally essential part of my birth experience. It took a long time for my first daughter to be born, and so members of the team needed naps, meals and other forms of self-care. But, I was honestly surprised that I needed someone to hold my hand during each and every contraction. Even though I had attended so many births, I still needed my doula to keep me from becoming scared as the hours and days passed. I needed companionship, reassurance, someone to make me laugh, someone to remind me why I was working so hard. It was wonderful to have my partner with me for the birth of our daughter, but he was not able to be all that I needed while still taking care of himself and being fully present for the birth of our child. Having Julie along for the ride made it possible for us to both do what we needed to do to get through those long days. In the end, I don't remember how hard it was... I remember how joyful and supported I felt. I suspect that I could have done it without Julie, but I don't even want to think about what that would have been like. Julie held the doubt and fear back so that there was room for joy.
You see, even a doula needs a doula.
While I keep trying to figure out how to solve our awareness problem, we could really use some help-- and not just from my own clients who already do a stellar job keeping my practice thriving with referrals. We need as many of our past clients as possible to turn towards the people in your own life and tell your own story so that people can start to understand what it means to have a doula. The change in awareness needs to happen on a cultural level. The first time a person hears about a doula should not be when they are pregnant. Our stories about doulas should not just be passed from pregnant person to pregnant person, in whispers. Tell your grandma! Tell your dentist!
Help us bust all the myths out there about us and reach our true potential. All kinds of people work with doulas! Doulas love to work in hospitals! There is a doula for everyone! Doulas can support any kind of birth experience! Doulas can support any kind of pregnancy experience! Everyone deserves a doula!!!
Please consider doing one or all of the following:
*talking to your pregnant friends about your experience working with a doula;
*sharing this blog post with your friends;
*talking about doulas with non-pregnant people when you see an opportunity;
*posting on facebook about what your doula did for you;
*posting a testimonial about your doula on doulamatch or some other referral page;
* and, sure, you can give your doula another high-five.
No matter what tack you take, doing these things doula community face our number one hurdle head on. Open up and tell someone in your own voice what having a doula meant to you. If you need to warm up, go ahead and start by leaving a comment here about your experience. I'd love to hear about it!
RSS Feed
