You may be wondering what a doula is, or maybe even how to say it (doo-lah). You may be wondering why you need one, and why would I chose to be a doula instead of a midwife (this is not true). These are all questions I have been fielding for a few months now, so I thought I would set the record straight.

So, first of all a doula is not a midwife, they are not interchangeable, and they have totally different scopes of practice. Doulas are essentially childbirth coaches, armed with deep knowledge about the labor and delivery process, and have various tips/tricks/position changes to help move labor along. Doulas do not catch babies, they do not make medical decisions, and therefore they cannot replace the Certified Nurse Midwife or the Obstetrician at the birth. Most importantly, doulas serve the vital role of remaining a constant source of emotional support throughout labor/delivery/postpartum, when sometimes this aspect cannot be fulfilled by the medical professionals.

“Well, isn’t that like replacing the husband/partner?”

No, but if no support person IS available, the doula could be that person. So far in my experience, the doula has been another pair of hands to support the expectant parents as they work as a team. Many women want the face of their partner near them throughout, and the doula allows this to happen by facilitating their experience, making suggestions along the way, and relieving the partner at times to rest up and be fully present for the mother. The guiding force behind a doula’s action is, “How will she remember this?” focusing on whether the mother will leave the birth feeling respected, empowered, and fulfilled.

I started the process of becoming a Birth Doula for a few reasons. The academic reasons were that I could gain experience in the field of labor and delivery, I could then determine if a Masters in Midwifery was the right path for me, and further strengthen my resume to apply to such programs one day. While these are all great reasons, I am a woman motivated by intuition and timing and held off for awhile on making the leap to start my doula certification.

Although I knew about the DONA certification for awhile, it wasn’t until I learned of the tragic suicide of an old highschool friend, and new mother, that I took the plunge. Though we hadn’t spoken in years, this news tore me up inside. I talked to every mother I could. I cried so much for her and for her family. After the wake, my best friend and I sat almost in silence across from each other in disbelief and shock. How could this have happened??? I started watching documentaries and investigating maternal mental health. A common theme arose: If only someone had asked, if only there was a little more support and understanding, perhaps things would have been different. I knew then that I needed to act NOW, that becoming a nurse and a midwife just wasn’t soon enough. Knowing that women were suffering drove me to start.

I got working quickly. I bought every book I needed or wanted for the doula certification, started researching the upcoming workshops and booked my seat for three weekends of class up in New York City. I had no idea how to go about getting the births I needed for the certification, but that didn't stop me. I knew this is what I needed to be doing. As my work environment steadily declined, the opportunity for California peaked its sunny face, and I knew the timing was perfect.

One day, my varied experiences and education will all come together and in my mind, it feels like it will really, really work. I don’t know the timing yet, where I will practice, or how I’ll manage to sneak in a family of my own one day, but I do know that this is what I am meant to be doing. This is the kind of care I want to give.

We shall not suffer in silence.