Aspiring Doulas - What got you interested in doula work?

ScootchsMom · 08-25-2008, 09:45 AM

First of all, welcome to the Aspiring Doula Discussion board

I'm Liz and am the current moderator for the board

So tell me, what got you interested in doula work? Doesn't matter what kind of doula you want to be, just tell me what sparked your interest!

For me, though I'm currently on hiatus due to moving to a new state and lack of child care here, my passion was sparked when I was able to help one of my friends with planning for birth and helping her breastfeed her new son. I discovered I love to teach other women about the things I believe in, as well as helping them overcome all the guilt associated when decisions don't work the way they want them to.

I can't wait to here from you all

MichaelsMom · 08-26-2008, 10:40 AM

I had my first child (my son, Michael) in March of last year. When I first found out I was pregnant, I was dead set on getting an epidural during labor, and no one was going to change my mind! Around my 6th month of pregnancy, I started reading about natural births, and water births, and about how women actually enjoyed bringing their baby into the world. I also learned about what side effects an epidural and other pain medicines could have on a baby and mom.

I then decided that I wanted to be able to experience the birth of my son whole-heartedly with no medical interventions. My husband was very supportive of my decision, and we even hired a doula to help us accomplish my natural birth. I had to be induced (pitocin in an IV), because I had IUGR, but I had the most amazng experience ever! I loved every second of my labor and delivery, and decided that I wanted to be able to assist women in having such a wonderful experience like my doula did for me!

Currently, I am training to be a postpartum doula (my son was only 4 pounds 14 ounces, so I know how scary it can be to bring home such a tiny, dependent being). So I will do this until my son is in school, and then I will begin my training to become a birth/labor doula as well!

Nicole E · 08-26-2008, 02:01 PM

My birth experience(s) also led me to decide to train as a doula, but mine were not as positive. I want to help moms avoid an experience like mine (for my second, I feel I was bullied into choices I didn't want to make and that I may have actually been lied to at least once)

There aren't really any resources for VBAC moms here, so I want to eventually specialize in them and possible teach a VBAC prep course (lots of doulas do VBACs but there aren't any classes etc. for VBAC moms)

nicole_imes · 08-26-2008, 05:41 PM

Well, I grew up around babies and midwife-attended births....4 of my 5 siblings were midwife-attended, including 2 VBAC waterbirths! I was the "offical" doula for the last one. I found that training as a doula was a good first step for me in my quest to become a midwife. I was dead-set that I was going to be a midwife when I was 14-15, but at 16 my mom got me the books to start reading and it suddenly dawned on me that I would have 2 lives that I would be responsible for at each and every birth!

I wasn't sure that I was ready to take that on!

Fortunately, my mom ran across the DONA website, explained to me the concept and the rest is history. I started my certification back in 2000 (when I was 17), but life kind of intervened and I didn't get to finish certification that time around. But I see this season in my life as the time to do that. Plus I have already been offered the chance to train as a midwife's assistant for a local group of midwives! So that will be my next step.

Brandy · 08-26-2008, 11:28 PM

A lot like Nicole up there, I started my journey at a very young age. Saw my first homebirth at age 8 and I was raised in te birth environment. I was always curious and had a great mom willing to answer ANY question about PG or birth. I always said I was going to "deliver babies" She bought me books and videos etc. I knew during my 1st marriage when I witnessed a birth as an adult, what I actually WANTED was a role in the miwifery community.

5 years ago, I attempted birth doula certification. It did not work out...so much CRAP going on. Delt with infertility and pregnancy loss. Divorce etc.

This last march after 15 births between then and now I decided I should get certified

:

I was always that girl..
"hey call Brandy, she knows about that stuff."
Or " I am so and so, you don;t know me but so and so said to call you cause you know about this stuff"

No matter what, its been apart of my life with out my trying.

Im just gonna see how it goes.
Take things as they come and let thing fall into my lap.

If this is in fact my true calling, then the Lord will open doors for me to fufill that calling. As long as I have a willing heart and listen, he will do the rest.

kalley · 09-29-2008, 09:52 PM

I have wanted to work with pregnant/laboring women since I was in highschool. When I saw my neice born when i was 19 I knew for sure that it was for me. My ultimate goal is to become a midwife. I am a pre-nursing student and plan to use my doula career as a precursor to midwifery career. I gues you could say I am getting my birthing fix. Being part of childbirth is truly a calling for me.

ishereal · 10-06-2008, 04:52 PM

For me it was my own pregnancy and birth experience. Who knew how much it would shape my life *smile*

ilithyiainspired · 10-15-2008, 08:29 AM

Originally I was going to be a feminist academic. I had a particular interest in motherhood and babymaking and what feminists had to say about that (which stemmed, I think, from the fact that my mtoher abandoned us when I was a teenager - I was looking for answers). My honours thesis was a critique of artificial womb technology arguing that such a technology stood to take a lot from women. Then I began a PhD which traced the industrialisation of reproduction (the move from birth being at home attended by a traditional midwife to hospitalisation and the rise of the obstetric profession). But I got really frustrated with the PhD process and realising that as great as writing books about birth would be it would only make a limited difference in women's lives...

At this time I fell in love and got clucky as all H and my partner and I began starting to try to make a baby and I realised that being a doula or a midwife would be the most amazing "job" in the world. But I wanted to wait until I had experienced birth myself before beginning a course or attending someone elses birth.

Had an amaaaazing homebirth in February and began my doula studies in July and attended my first birth as the support person in September. And I'm completely high on birth!

beth7919 · 10-15-2008, 10:56 PM

since 2003 i've known i wanted to do something..but wasn't actually sure till this week

i suffered three miscarriages prior to having my first son...and i really love to help other woman who are going through the same things i've been through...
breastfeeding...i've realized there are so many out there clueless about breastfeeding..and i'm always eager to help..and answer questions! i BF my first son till he was 28 months and 9 days

my second son..i'm still breastfeeding..and going strong!
then when i had a VBAC with my second son..it was the most amazing experience in my life! i want to do it ..again..and again..and again

i love pregnancy..and i want to be there for woman during their new journey in life