What Is A Doula?

A Birth Doula is a trained labour companion. Her role is to promote and protect the memory of birth, by providing non-judgemental support to birthing women and their families before, during and after birth. Guided by her heart and spirit she enhances the birth experience in providing physical, informational and emotional support.

A Postpartum Doula "Mothers' The New Mother" by nurturing her and her new family after they arrive home. She uses her experience and wisdom to guide parents as they integrate their new baby into their lives. She empowers new parents by helping them to discover their baby's unique personality,behaviours and needs; answers questions and assists with breastfeeding,newborn care and postpartum adjustments.

Postpartum Doula Service Hands-On Doulas
Heidi Sharek/Wen Kauffman (780) 454-2408/ (780) 465-9367 handsondoulas@gmail.com

Steps To Becoming A Doula Start by finding an experienced doula to talk to... If you don't know a doula, please feel free to contact Tracey at BirthingStuff.com, she is the DONA representative for Alberta and would be happy to answer your questions and introduce you to other doulas to interview.

Here are some important questions to ask the doulas you speak to:

What are the best parts of the job?
What is the worst part of the job?
How do you keep a balance between your work and your home life?
How to you get support from other doulas?
How do you find your clients?
What did you wish you had known before you wentto your first birth?
Can you actually support yourself financially doing this work?
Ask her the tough questions. Doulas are supposed to be honest, but sometimes they are too kind. Don't let her paint too rosy a picture of the work, but get her to tell you about the wonderful excitement of it too!

Next, get some information about what birth is like in your community...
Observing pre-natal classes is a good way to do that. In Edmonton, you could attend a Birth Source Inc. Childbirth Preparation Class, or you could call Public Health Units. Look in the yellow pages under Prenatal.
Tell them you are working towards becoming a doula and would like to observe a series of classes. They should let you do so for free. It will take you a few weeks, but you will have to do this anyway for your DONA certification, so you may as well get it done.

Do some reading on doulas, pregnancy and childbirth...
There are lots of resources available online, even hundreds of birth stories, written by doulas, midwives and mothers. BirthingStuff.com also has a wonderful variety of books included in the suggested reading list for DONA certification.

• The DONA Website There are many internet sites about doulas, but the most complete and authoritative one by far is the DONA website at www.dona.org You will find there not only information on what doulas are about, but also on how to become certified as a doula. They even have public discussion boards you can ask questions on.

To find a DONA-approved doula training program near you access the list of trainings on the DONA website.

Adapted with permission from The Mothering Touch Centre www.motheringtouch.ca