May is International Doula Month

Posted by Kim:

Did you know that May is not only Skin Cancer Awareness month but it is also International Doula month? WOW! May is a busy month!!! Carri and I both honor doulas and respect their role during a woman's birth experience. After all it was Carri's role as a doula that helped her create and design the BINSI birth skirt and through my passion for BINSI I have been impassioned to become a doula myself.

What is a doula?

According to the DONA (Doulas of North America):

The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.

What are the benefits of having a doula at your birth?

Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.

A Birth Doula

* Recognizes birth as a key experience the mother will remember all her life
* Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor
* Assists the woman in preparing for and carrying out her plans for birth
* Stays with the woman throughout the labor
* Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as
helping the woman get the information she needs to make informed decision
* Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her clinical care
providers
* Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the woman's memory of the birth experience
* Allows the woman's partner to participate at his/her comfort level

How can we celebrate doulas?

Some suggestions DONA has are:

* Write an article for a local publication or send a press release to your local media.
*Host a free doula info night at a library or community center to let parents know about your
services, which might also be a great reason for your local press to do a story on doulas.
*Have a movie night for parents and/or doulas. Show the latest movies such as "Orgasmic
Birth", "The Business of Being Born" or "Pregnant in America", or revisit some of the classics.
*Create a birthing circle where women can share their birth stories to support each other and/or
heal from their birth trauma
*Organize a networking day for local doulas to meet, network and support each other with new
ideas and co-opetition.
*Host an at-home spa party for local doulas.
*Put together info packages that hospitals and birth centers can hand out to expectant parents
and/or laboring mothers with suggestions for position changes and comfort measures.
*Create a goal sheet of what you'd like to accomplish between now and International Doula
Month next year.
*Give yourself a big pat on the back for working tirelessly to help women enter parenthood in a
positive way!