Doulas Of The Roundtable

In the doula community, there is often a line of demarcation between "new" doulas and "seasoned doulas." Yet no clear line exists that determines when one is no longer considered new. So the question is, when does one become an experienced doula, and how is that experience defined? Could it be that a well-rounded doula can enter this work right from the start? The simple fact is that someone just beginning their doula journey can support a client just as effectively as a doula with years of experience. Doulas often focus on the number of births to define new vs. experienced. Yet, for expectant families, connection with the doula often tips the scales in favor of one doula vs another. In this episode, we challenge the notion of new vs. seasoned doulas. Join us as we discuss why the concept of a "well-rounded doula" is far more important than the number of years of experience or clients served.

One of the most common questions amongst labor doulas surrounds due dates. Should I take two clients due on the same date? What is the optimal spacing between clients? Is it better to take clients due further apart or closer together? The truth is, there's no straightforward answer to these common questions. Experience tells us that EDD is just a number on a calendar and that clients may deliver weeks before or after their given date.  One thing is for certain, working with a backup doula is essential.  Join us as we discuss the many factors to consider surrounding the due date dilemma.

Becoming a doula means that you are starting a business. Many doulas overlook this first step. Or this information is not a big part of their doula training.  Understanding the ins and outs of starting a business is important. Creating a legal business structure, setting up business accounts for banking, taking payments, and offering services are critical first steps. These steps not only protect your business but can protect your personal assets as well.  Running a business means that you need to manage many aspects of your doula business daily. Working with clients is a part of what you will do as you work in your business. But it won't be the largest part of what you do, at least in the beginning. Doulas who want to make a living at this work will need to tend to their business just as diligently as they tend to their clients. Join us as we discuss the basics of running a doula business.

Doulas new to labor support have a common question; "How will I Know when it's time to go?"   Doula clients often have a version of the same question; "How will we know when to go?" The answers to these questions may seem relatively simple, but in practice, the answer can be pretty complex.  Factors that doulas may consider include: what are the frequency and duration of contractions, how the client copes with the contractions, would the client benefit from the reassurance that moving to their birth location can offer. Helping clients distinguish between practice labor and progressive labor is a big part of the labor doula's role.  Join us as we discuss the many factors to consider when helping clients decide when it's time to go!

On the surface, the difference between a doula consult vs. a doula interview seems virtually nonexistent. However, the intentions behind each can be vastly different. Depending on where a doula trains, an interview may be where a doula decides if they want to work with a particular family. Or an interview is a place where a doula "teases" what they have to offer. But reserves providing information and genuinely engaging in offering a deeper level of information and support until hired.  A consultation is where a family can meet with a doula to gather information and advice. It's an opportunity for the doula to create a vision of what it looks like to receive their support. A doula consult is where the doula paints a picture of what it looks like, feels like, and what the experience of working with you as a doula will be like. An interview is a space to gather information, typically via a list of questions someone wants to ask. This is great for the family searching for a doula. But it doesn't often allow spac

As doulas and humans, it is inherent that we bring bias into our work. Yet, at the same time, providing non-biased, non-judgmental support is a hallmark of the support we provide to the families we work with. The first step to setting aside our bias is identifying the types of bias we are subject to. The three basic types of bias that doulas face are: Implicit bias Explicit bias Confirmation bias There are biases that we hold based on our lived experiences. They influence our subconscious thoughts, attitudes, and stereotypes. These biases are identified as implicit bias. Explicit biases are biases that come from our views about a person, thing, or group. Then we have confirmation bias. Confirmation bias leads us to interpret, search for, and remember information in a way that supports our prior beliefs or values.  Join us as we explore the common types of doula bias and discuss how they can influence the important work we do with clients.

Supporting precipitous labor is a skill that, for many doulas, is learned in real-time. Precipitous labor is labor that ends 3-5 hours after the onset of labor.  On average, 1 in 3 of every 100 birthing people will experience precipitous labor. While certain factors can make a pregnant person more likely to experience precipitous labor, the exact cause is unknown. As doulas, we often wonder what the "secret sauce" is. What is it that will cause some people to experience this type of labor. While the idea of rapid labor may sound great to clients, this type of labor does present some challenges. The body is doing the same amount of work to give birth. Only it's happening in a vastly condensed amount of time. This means that for most, the pace and intensity of the labor are likely more than anticipated. Those who experience precipitous labor often relate that this type of labor is like going from 0-100 in .02 seconds. The expected build-up of contractions from early labor to active labor to transition just does

As a birth worker, networking and developing a community referral list are important to your work.  Those new to the field often wonder how to begin. Another common question is what services should be included on a referral list.  No matter the approach, who you add to your referral list is a task that requires careful consideration.  Do the business's beliefs and values align with your own? In the digital age, a fumble on the part of one business can reflect badly on your own. For example, if your business is LGBTQIA+ friendly, referring to another business, no matter how skilled they may be, who does not share these values can cause a negative image of your business. Will the business you refer to offer reciprocity in referring back to you?  Come join us as we discuss the many variables to consider when developing your community referral list.

Partner support during the postpartum period is one topic we don't see discussed often. Yet, for the partner, having a baby and learning to parent is an equally transformative experience. Partners experience the birth in a different way than the birthing person. They can experience worry, feelings of helplessness, and even experience vicarious trauma. Partners will typically self-sacrifice to support the birthing person. This is often where the need for more focused support can begin. Sacrificing their own needs to support the birthing person. Setting their need for rest and nourishment aside. As postpartum doulas coming into this dynamic requires assessment skills. What does this partner need most at this point? Where are they struggling? Where are they excelling, and how can we validate and encourage them? Come join us as we discuss the many considerations in how to support partners during the postpartum period.

As doulas consider expanding into other birth-related services, birth photography is often a common consideration. It seems like the perfect mesh, doula skills paired with photography skills equals the perfect match. But can a doula be both at the same time? While it seems like a simple answer, there are many factors that doulas often fail to consider. Will doula support or photography take priority when a client needs hands-on support? What happens if doula support is needed simultaneously as the one "perfect shot" a client wants presents itself? Join us as we take a deep dive into the ins and outs of providing birth photography and labor support.

What do you wish you knew before becoming a doula? This is a question that we see frequently from those considering birth work or those who have just entered the field. Working with growing families is the part of the work that most have at least a loose idea about. But it's the practicalities that many often fail to consider. Living the on-call life. Pacing yourself when supporting families. What self-care actually looks like. These are just a few things that come immediately to mind as experienced birth workers. Then there are other things that many may not consider. Running a business. For those who are just getting started, client management is also often overlooked. But when you get busy, systems are essential to keep track of clients, what they need, what services they've hired you to provide, and what their preferences and needs are.  Come join us as we discuss what we wish we'd known before becoming doulas!

As a birth worker, your personal mental health is just as important as your physical health. The very nature of our role often places us in stressful situations that can cause or exacerbate our own mental health issues.  Anxiety, depression, and other conditions can all factor into our ability to care not only for our clients. These conditions can also heavily influence our ability to care for ourselves as well. However, there are strategies to help birth workers combat compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma.  From therapy to medication to processing with a trusted colleague, there are many ways to help birth workers cope. Come join us as we discuss mental health for birth workers, strategies to cope, and our own personal journies.

As a birth worker working with repeat clients is always an exciting and humbling experience. For many, the repeat client is like working with an old friend. Someone you've developed trust, a deep bond with, and a healthy mutual respect for. Yet at the same time we as birth workers have to be careful not to make assumptions about what the client will need in this birth or postpartum experience based on previous experiences. There are also many questions that birth workers have when it comes to working with repeat clients. For example, we often hear the following: "How much do I charge a repeat client if my prices have increased since their last birth/baby?" "How many prenatal visits should I do with a repeat labor client?" "What topics should I cover during a pre-birth visit with a repeat client?" "How will what this client needs from me change as a postpartum doula with an older sibling in the home?" Come join us as we discuss the ins and outs of working with repeat clients.

Providing daytime postpartum care often comes with helping families find a routine. A routine that works best for them. However, navigating postpartum overnight care can be a much more challenging type of care.  Some doulas struggle with setting boundaries for how frequently or how long they will work overnight postpartum shifts. Others will experience challenges in feeling like they need to "do something, or "do more" during overnights shifts.  It's not uncommon for postpartum doulas to experience unsafe sleep situations or for families to use unsafe practices when caring for their newborns. It is important for doulas to give careful thought and consideration to how to handle these situations long before they wind up in the situation.  Come join us as we discuss the ins and outs and important considerations for navigating postpartum overnights.

One skill set that many doulas express a lack of confidence in is supporting clients with an epidural. Many doula workshops overemphasize how to support an unmedicated birth. As a result, doulas may feel uncertain and often unprepared to support the client who has chosen an epidural. Supporting the client with an epidural is multi-faceted. Many clients and even doulas may assume that a doula's job is done once an epidural is in place. The reality is, that the doula's job has just begun.  Physical support is still necessary when supporting epidurals. Frequent position changes help the baby navigate the changing diameters of the pelvis.  The necessity for emotional support can also increase as clients process their feelings surrounding receiving the epidural. Some may feel only relief. Others may feel guilt or regret. Feelings of failure can also be common.  Come join us as we discuss the ins and outs of supporting our clients who have chosen to receive an epidural.

Newborn soothing can sometimes seem like a mysterious, magical, art, especially to new parents. The phone rings, it's a new parent who needs help. Sometimes they need more sleep. Others need help with learning how to settle or soothe their newborns. They are feeling panicked, helpless, desperate, and oftentimes as if they are not doing it right. Some also express that they feel as if their baby doesn't like them. For some, the frantic urgency to try and calm their baby perpetuates the cycle. For others, they cycle through the newborn claiming techniques they know too quickly. As a result, no one technique is given enough time to work. This sense of urgency and desperation often leads families to utilize unsafe practices such as unsafe sleep habits. As birth professionals, we benefit families by showing them what is possible. Knowing that their baby can be calmed and soothed gives them hope. We give them the skills to recreate a calm and happy newborn when we are not there. Come join us as we explore the many

Navigating family challenges surrounding our clients and their support systems can be challenging for many doulas. The relationships between our clients and their support systems are nuanced and built over time. As with all relationships, there is often a deep history that we as doulas are not privy to. Helping clients navigate the challenges that family and friends can present is often a huge part of our role. Giving birth and becoming a parent are emotionally charged transitions. At the same time, it is also an extremely vulnerable state, both emotionally and physically. The people our clients choose to have around them during birth can impact how they view themselves. As a result, those who are present can also result in a client feeling guarded or inhibited. New parents are faced with judgment and are given unsolicited advice on a daily basis. The pressures to "do it right" are immense. This advice is often well-intentioned, yet family or social pressures can undermine a parent's self-confidence. Come joi

While there are many reasons for dilation during labor to take time or pause, one reason is often overlooked—cervical scar tissue.  Cervical scar tissue can come from many sources. Biopsies, cryosurgery, LEEP procedures, to name a few. For some, the scar tissue caused by these procedures may pose no problem at all during labor. But for others, cervical scar tissue can impact the progression of dilation.  While doulas are not clinical care providers, some will choose to explore a clients GYN history a bit to see if there is a history of such procedures. Others may decide not to ask but instead remain mindful and watchful for signs of possible scar tissue during labor. Join us as we discuss the possible impacts of cervical scar tissue on labor, how we navigate conversations surrounding it with clients, and how to navigate discussions surrounding cervical scar tissue in labor.

As doulas, it's easy to let the what-ifs that surround our lives take control. Unlike many other professions, a doula's entire life can center around our work. Being a doula may become a bit of a lived identity if you will. For some, the philosophies of doula work will apply to everyone they encounter. Non-judgmental support, reflective listening, the desire to help in any way possible. For others, the role of a doula is an intentional mindset that they step into or out of as they go to work or transition back to at-home life. Come join us as we discuss the many facets of doula work as a lived identity.

When it comes to advocacy, there is more than one definition. Ask a handful of doulas what it means to advocate for a client and you’re like to get a handful of answers. We believe that it is not our place to speak for our clients. This belief can ruffle some doula feathers. While we can achieve the same goals, we tend to define advocate and advocacy a bit differently. We believe that as doulas, we amplify our client's voices. Speaking for them removes their voice. It assumes that they haven't changed their mind. Speaking for the client can actually remove their power and silence their voices.  Come join us as we discuss the many facets of doulas as advocates.