THIS IS HOW IT IS AT BIRTH RIGHT
Becoming a doula is so much more than providing information and physical support during labour and birthing.
It has NOT got anything to do with the relationship a woman has with her midwife or doctor caregiver that she has chosen to care for and look out for her and her baby – medically. This is their priority and responsibility.
It is the learning how to listen, how to sit back and ‘feel’ intuitively what this woman is hearing, seeing and feeling, and developing the skill to understand her emotionally. It is often being a mind-reader and connecting the dots of information and responses that you, the doula, are receiving.
It is learning about the hospital system and the homebirth system, the policies and procedures that govern the people who work in the system.
It is learning about how obstetricians think, how midwives think, how anaesthetists think and how you, the doula, can negotiate, on behalf of the woman, in a very respectful way, to ensure the woman has the respect for her birth wishes she deserves.
A lot of groundwork is done during meetings you will have with your pregnant client. You will develop knowledge about the role of various ‘other’ professionals who specialise in providing services for pregnant women, e.g. massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, yoga, hypnotherapy, counselling, as well as prenatal classes.
