everyone deserves a doula

If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you know that I have been in major transition in life. I moved into my childhood home with my mother, brother, and Rhys part-time (sad face not seeing your kid everyday) - but more on healing through intergenerational living another time. I want to share this piece I wrote for Nevada County Citizens for Choice. I’m a birth doula in San Francisco, but I was invited to contribute to their quarterly reproductive rights advocacy newsletter! This was published last Fall and a friend reminded me that I probably should have shared the article that describes exactly what I and other birth doulas and fullspectruma doulas do!

I’ve copied the text below but you can read the entire newsletter pdf here (or just my page).

Since writing this explanation of why birth doulas and birthworkers are needed, I’ve had some changes in my life and how I show up for pregnancy support. I’ve shifted from attending births to virtual support and distance energy healing. My approach focuses not just on the birth event but also the people we become during one of life’s biggest changes. Now for the article!

When I became pregnant in 2018, I was so excited about becoming a mother, but very scared of giving birth. Negative birth stories and media portrayals overwhelmed me, and the people close to me said, “it’s too unpredictable to prepare for, just do what your doctor says!” My passive attitude resulted in a cascade of events that left me traumatized and thinking “how did this happen?!” It was through processing my birth that I learned of a wonderful profession that could have transformed my whole experience: doulas.

A birth doula is a support person who provides informational, emotional, and physical support during pregnancy, labor, and childbirth. This continuous support can look like providing evidence-based resources to help people create their birth plan, holding space for the range of feelings that come up during pregnancy, educating people on their rights, hands on care during labor, helping partners prepare, and so much more. While doulas are educated on some of the signs of emergency, we leave all medical care to the OBGYN’s, nurses, and/or midwives.

The term doula indicates someone who is of service, but the word itself comes from the Greek word for slave. For that reason, some are steering away from the title (common alternatives are birthkeeper, birthworker, and even birth witch), but others are adopting it for areas outside of pregnancy: end of life, gender transition, and divorce to name a few. What we all have in common is the intention to support a person in being their most centered, healthy self through life’s big transitions.

As a full spectrum doula, I’m trained to support all pregnancy experiences, such as abortion, miscarriage, and adoption. Postpartum doulas provide in-home support in the immediate antenatal period through things like lactation support, tidying up, caring for baby while parent(s) nap, and providing healing foods and judgment-free listening.

We tend to believe this type of care is a luxury, but the data says doulas can significantly improve the chances of positive birth outcomes, especially for people with marginalized identities such as Black women and trans men. A 2017 Cochrane review of over 15,000 people showed that continuous doula support resulted in a decrease of Cesarean birth (“C-section”), use of pain medications, and labor length. It also increased the chances of favorable APGAR scores, likelihood of spontaneous vaginal birth, and overall satisfaction with the experience. It’s pretty phenomenal that the presence of one trained companion could have such a measurable impact.

Experts believe doulas are so effective because when birthing people feel like they are in the care of someone they trust, the body responds positively through pain relieving hormones. Despite all this compelling evidence, less than 10% of people are actually hiring doulas. While out of pocket cost can be a concern, most birth workers offer sliding scale rates, payment plans, or volunteer their services. It is also common for folks to use HSA/FSA funds, get reimbursed by insurance, or add to their baby registry.

When it comes to selecting a doula, I always encourage people to hire the person they connect with best, even if that person isn’t me. One of my favorite things about this field is the community of abundant-minded, creative people of all identities, personalities, and skillsets. Every birth worker has their own individual style which is beautiful because every pregnant person has their own individual needs.

Between the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing awareness of medical racism, people are turning to doulas to advocate for them in hospitals and provide the in-home care that they need but may not be able to receive from their family and friends. I know that my birth experience would have been much different if I hired a doula, which is why I aim to be the person I needed when I was pregnant. Of course, continuous care is just one piece to a larger puzzle of improving birth outcomes. The best way to ensure healthy parents and babies is by continuing to work toward a society that supports reproductive education, affordable healthcare, anti-discrimination policies and paid parental leave.

When families are supported, healthier babies are born, and healthier communities emerge.

POSITIVE PREGNANCIES & BETTER BIRTHS:

EVERYONE DESERVES A DOULA

By Siobhan Norris

www.CitizensforChoice.org