While doulas have been growing in popularity for their work related to childbirth and the early postpartum period, their value in all areas of reproductive health is just beginning to percolate in the public eye. Traditionally, the people who attended the births in their communities provided support during ALL areas of reproductive health. Preconception, fertility, preventing pregnancy, miscarriage and loss,… Read more →
I received this note from a past doula student who had a baby recently, and we both decided we should post it publicly. What I heard in the note was “I was informed and confident, and my birth was long and amazing!” I love this because so often the rhetoric around birth in our culture is that shorter-is-better, and I… Read more →
We’re keeping the birth story train going here, after receiving so much response to giving women a place to share! Women often say the thing that helped them feel the most prepared for birth was reading other women’s stories. This really epitomizes the Birth Takes a Village theme… women sharing their stories in the community of other women wanting to… Read more →
I’m an anomaly in the birth-professional world in that some of my favourite births to attend are those of first-time mothers. It’s quite typical of anyone who attends births for a living to prefer what we call “multips”: women who’ve given birth at least once before. It’s commonly accepted that multips birth more quickly and easily than first-timers (“primips”), taking much less… Read more →
If you’ve been researching doulas and what they can offer during childbirth, you’ve probably read something like the following on a thousand websites: “Doulas offer resources and education during prenatal and postpartum visits, provide emotional and physical support as comfort measures during birth,and advocate for your birth choices” But what does a doula do during the actual birth process? What… Read more →