Doulas Of The Roundtable

Society often looks down upon teen pregnancy. There can be a lot of shame & judgment involved. For many teens, the doula can be viewed as just another adult who is trying to direct their birth experience. The key to supporting teens is to meet them where they are at. In this episode, we discuss how to approach supporting teen pregnancy, from how to conduct prenatal meetings, navigating parenteral or guardian involvement, to help our teen clients plan for their birth, and letting them lead the process.

Among pregnant individuals, preeclampsia will affect approximately 5-8% of pregnancies. Among Black pregnant individuals that risk is 3x greater. As doulas, it is inevitable that we will encounter clients who develop preeclampsia. Both during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. Come join us as we explore what to expect and how to support labor and postpartum clients through their experiences with preeclampsia and postpartum preeclampsia. 

Many doulas are curious about the types of doula partnership structures that exist. From life as a solo doula to life as an agency owner. To the life of an independent doula and an independent contractor working for an agency. We explore the many options that exist today for structuring a doula business.

Many doulas come to birth work after having their own birth experience. When it comes to serving clients, the question that typically arises is, "To share or not to share?" The truth is, it depends on the situation, and the client. It also heavily depends on the doula. Come join us as we discuss the many considerations, options, and alternatives to sharing our own birth experiences!

April is Cesarean Awareness Month! We often hear discussions about supporting a client through a cesarean birth. Yet we don't often hear about how to support our clients after a cesarean birth. In this episode, we discuss the many ways that labor and postpartum doulas can support their clients who give birth via cesarean.

One of the most common questions in doula forums is, "What's in your doula bag?" What isn't as readily talked about is our individual psychology. Those psychological & ideological things we carry in our mental doula bag. Our life experiences. Implicit & explicit biases. Work ethic. It is essential to learn how to peel back & get comfortable with the uncomfortable feelings that may arise when working with families. Come join us as we discuss the many complexities that exist when unpacking your doula baggage.

When it comes to the options for how a family can approach feeding their baby, the options feel infinite. Regardless of their approach, decision fatigue is a very real experience for many families. While the choice for how to feed the baby is often made before the baby arrives. The real-time process of infant feeding begins at birth. A time where the birthing parent is often tired, sore, and otherwise experiencing the after-effects of the birth process. Come join us as we discuss the many considerations for infant feeding and how we can best support clients through the challenges they may face.

As a labor or postpartum doula, one common conversation that can often be overlooked is a discussion surrounding the options available for immediate postpartum care. Specifically, the options surrounding immediate newborn care. Come join us we discuss the options that birthing families may want to consider as a part of their immediate newborn care plan.

A client’s desire to want to learn more about their doula is a natural part of the getting to know your process. However, as a birth professional, you may feel that some topics are off-limits. In this episode, we discuss how to navigate these oftentimes controversial topics. Come join us as we discuss how to set your own conversational boundaries with clients.

Prodromal labor is one of the most misunderstood aspects of normal, physiologic labor.  Far too often prodromal labor is defined as an abnormal process. Something that needs to be fixed and is best avoided. Come join us as we dive into what prodromal labor is. What it means, and how to support clients through the process.

It’s not uncommon to hear those involved in birth work say that change is needed when it comes to the practice of obstetrics. While this is true, very few doulas are taught how change tends to happen. In this episode, we discuss the catalysts of obstetrical change and the influences that drive them.

Twenty-twenty has been a year, yet here were are at the end of Season Two! Join us as we reflect back on this past year’s episodes, talk about your favorites, our favorites, and give some teasers to our upcoming Season Three!

As birth professionals, it is important to understand the impact of language during birth and the subtext that often results. In this episode, we unpack one doula’s birth and the impact of language on their experience. With special guest, Randy Patterson.

Some clients hire a postpartum doula before their baby is born. Others seek postpartum support once their baby has arrived. Regardless of when you are hired, an important step to supporting postpartum families is to understand their preferences and help them explore their options. In this episode, we explore the different approaches that a postpartum doula may utilize to help their clients feel empowered and educated.

A common question in the doula community is, “Can I doula part-time?” For some, they are looking to transition into doula work from a full-time job. For others, they simply want to support families during their free time while working in another field. In this episode, we discuss the many approaches to part-time doula work and the various paths that doulas may take

Supporting clients who are planning to have a vaginal birth after a previous cesarean can be a rewarding and challenging experience. Developing an understanding of your client’s previous birth experience is a vital first step to providing compassionate and non-judgmental support. Come join us as we discuss the various facets of supporting clients through vagina birth after cesarean.

When working with postpartum families, the choices they may make about the care and keeping of their baby and their families can be a challenge for postpartum doulas. As postpartum doulas, our role is to help families identify their available options, without judgment. In this episode, we discuss some of the common challenges postpartum doulas may encounter and provide information for ways to navigate these often difficult situations.

As the number of COVID-19 cases begin to decline in certain areas, hospitals are revisiting their visitor policies. While many have re-opened their doors to doulas, the landscape of requirements for the doulas has also shifted. Come join us as we take a look at the shifting requirements placed upon doulas to support their clients through birth at the bedsite.

Let's talk about free doula services. Providing free or low-cost doula services. For many years the discussion centered on doulas with financial privilege serving birthing families for free and low cost and how that impacts other doulas. More recently an awareness that this conversation must also include serving at-risk communities, including the BIOPIC communities through funded programs. In this episode, we take a look at both sides of this "Free Doula" conversation.

As birth professionals, we are aware of the power of language. This is especially true when it comes to the language used surrounding birth planning vs birth preferences. A birth plan can often be viewed as a pass or fail endeavor. While creating a list of birth preferences can open the door to communication and flexibility. Join us as we discuss the nuances of the language surrounding how we help a client identify and express their desires for how their births may unfold.