Doula vs. Birth Activist

ctowndoula · 07-05-2007, 04:17 PM

How do you doula and work to bring serious change about? Can the two mix? Obviously we are all doing our best to educate one couple at a time (or several a month!) but outside of that....

any ideas for me?

Doula Hara · 07-05-2007, 05:05 PM

fo me personally, my doula work is just one element of my reproductive rights activism. in college my major was Anthropology of Reproduction--studying the ways women interact with pregancy, birth, menstruation, birth cotnrol and abortion in their lives, and feminist alternatives to the conventional methods of each of these. this has become my life path in every way, and my doula work is an amazing part of that path. ive not only doula'd women through their births, but through miscarriages, abortions and infertility as well, and i see all of these as having equal priority for me. each doula client i have has the opportunity not only to learn about her options in childbirth, but also to learn about fertility charting as natural birth control, alternative menstrual products that are healthier, etc. this is my part of the battle for a better world.

doula Michele · 07-05-2007, 05:26 PM

No Ideas.... by nature I am not an activist. I just live my life and hope I touch someone or create small ripples along the way.

DoulaCBE · 07-05-2007, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctowndoula

How do you doula and work to bring serious change about? Can the two mix? Obviously we are all doing our best to educate one couple at a time (or several a month!) but outside of that....

any ideas for me?

Start at home. Before I had my now 3 year old I wanted my older daughter (there's 11 year gap between my girls) to see normal birth. To experience what it was to give birth normally.

I asked one of our doulas (who was ultimately my doula) if I could bring my older daughter along to the birth of her daughter and she agreed. Lara (my daughter) got up close and personal and even held the flashlight so the midwife could see into the water as the baby was born. She witnessed another birth (same doula) 2 years later, 11 weeks before I gave birth to her sister.

She knows all about pregnancy, birth, what's normal, what's likely an excuse. She's still learning to stand up for herself and use her voice (she's now 14) but I think she has a great outlook on pregnancy,birth, breastfeeding. We also make informed decisionmaking part of our everyday lives.

I think we have the potential for greater change if we start with our children. We see small victories with clients, but ultimately by the time most clients get to us they have a framework and belief about pregnancy/birth already in place. They've often already been encultured that "dr knows best" and aren't really prepared to learn with a huge curve that one can and should question the status quo. Each one that does though is another pebble in the pond, another ripple in our society that reminds the medical system that we're here.

fearlessbirth · 07-05-2007, 06:43 PM

I have 2 sides to myself. My 'real' self that says whatever I feel to people regarding my beliefs on birth, breastfeeding, circ, vax, whatever. My 'doula' self is way more guarded and 'lady like'

. I don't believe the way to change the world is to bash people, discredit THEIR beliefs (whether based on ignorance, lack of education or if they're educated on both sides and chose something I disagree with), or act like I know it all....in my doula world I present BOTH sides (which really KILLS me sometimes...cause my normal self just wants to jump out and say how I REALLY feel!) and let the parents make educated decisions. That's all I can really do. As far as in my personal life, I hope that by striking up a conversation with someone it at least makes them think, the 'radical' idea gets passed on. Even if one more woman chooses homebirth, to breastfeed to not circ or vax then I've done enough

Am I even making sense?

MothertheMother · 07-05-2007, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctowndoula

How do you doula and work to bring serious change about? Can the two mix? Obviously we are all doing our best to educate one couple at a time (or several a month!) but outside of that....

any ideas for me?

I think this is why I quickly realized that though I love being a doula I needed to add more to feel effective. I haven't started teaching yet but becoming a CBE seemed like the next step since your audience is a bit bigger than "one couple at a time." Helping to create a birth network and hosting public meetings and educational opportunities is another thing that just seems to go along. I suppose anything you can do to educate and get people to start asking questions and demanding something other than protocol is the best tool we have. The hospitals will never change their policies until the public demands that they do. I wish there was some huge sweeping thing we could do to make a drastic change all at once but even my optimistic self can't see that happening any time soon. I do believe my daughter and possible future DIL will know more then I knew and will have (read create for themselves) more options than I had because of the work I do now.

Of course there is always legislation issues with homebirth midwives and breastfeeding laws as well...but I don't know what those are in your state. And that is not something I've gotten on board with just yet.

ctowndoula · 07-06-2007, 09:25 AM

I keep thinking of the volunteer work I could be doing (if I didn't homeschool three kids

) and the articles I could be writing. Perhaps some day when I have less responsiblities at home.

I like the suggestion of starting with your family. I have encouraged my kids to attend their siblings births and all prenatal appointments. I discuss women's bodies and menstration in a way that it will not be seen as a "curse" when they are older.

I was thinking about this special on Ghandi the other night. What if a bill came up to legalize homebirth and encourage more midwives and what if a calm and pithy (sic?) woman sat on the steps and fasted until the bill passed? Do you think that would move the world anymore? Ghandi, Mendela, Susan B. Anthony were only one person in a larger movement but they stood out. What made them agents of change? How can they or their actions be emulated?

beautifulbirth · 07-06-2007, 12:45 PM

I'd be happy to sit on those steps with you!

I think you could easily plan something like this with the doulas/natural birth supporters in town. I am sure if you get onto some more non-mainstream boards, you can recruit some hard-core activists to march/sit-in/fast. Put the word out, pick a time/date/and location (a high profile one) and if you can get a few interested, more will come.

I understand your frustration in the quest to always do more. Yes, I agree when the little ones are a bit older, we'll both have more time to do more activism. I, too, start at home (mine are a captive audience also) and try and wear empowering items which suggest women's power and strength like slings, and t-shirts with catchy slogans. And of course I am always talking to preggo mommies. I like to think I am making a difference, if one mom, grandma, or even dad sees my sling/t-shirt or hears me say doula, natural birth, etc. and researches the benefits. I can only plant the seed for the masses (which I will never know whether or not I really had an impact) but I do know when those few moms I run into mention that they looked into something I had suggested. It helps keep me going.

Our Doula Collective really has benefitted from a midwife and her practice who helps promote natural births/birth tubs/doulas. I volunteer with that whenever I can.

Best wishes with your endeavor, the birth community is blessed to have you!

DL · 07-07-2007, 01:37 AM

Tamara knows that I love her (we are friends IRL), but I don't consider myself an activist either. I am passionate about expectant moms, birth, and babies; I believe in a thorough birth education for both parents and care providers. I also consider total informed consent as one of my hot buttons. I think that I can be all of these things and still not be an activist. Once my moms are informed, I will support their birthing choices.

Sorry ladies, but I do know that I would not go hungry in order to make a statement for birth issues.

I have a hard enough time fasting for faith matters, and birth issues aren't as high in priority for me as that. Sure, it's important, but it is lower on my totum pole and so wouldn't get the same consideration from me.

Having said all of that, I honestly don't think that everyone is meant to be an "activist". We all have different strengths and giftings, and whatever those are is where we should focus our attentions on. I know that my strength is not in birth activism other than what it takes to be a caring doula and cbe. Just my

quixoticmama · 07-07-2007, 07:14 AM

Oh, Doula_Lori and AppleValleyChick! Please read my post 'Will it make me a bad doula' on the Doula discussion board! It sort of goes along with this a bit.

I don't consider myself a birth activist, either- and it makes me feel so much better knowing that there are others who feel the same way.

MothertheMother · 07-07-2007, 09:51 AM

I completely agree that all doulas don't need to be activists. I don't think being an activist has any reflection on your doula-ness! Some are passionate about that side of things and some aren't --thats it. The idea of helping one couple at a time sounded so appealing when I first began this doula journey but it wasn't long before I realized that it just wasn't enough for me...I need to do more. I do think, however, that the "one couple at a time" doulas are no more/no less important than the activist ones. We each have our place and we will be effective in our own ways. I don't see the activism thing as part of being a doula, the doula road just took me to activism. In my mind they are separate.

doula Michele · 07-07-2007, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quixoticmama

Oh, Doula_Lori and AppleValleyChick! Please read my post 'Will it make me a bad doula' on the Doula discussion board! It sort of goes along with this a bit.

I don't consider myself a birth activist, either- and it makes me feel so much better knowing that there are others who feel the same way.

I am the same.... no activism here at all.

doula Michele · 07-07-2007, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MothertheMother

I completely agree that all doulas don't need to be activists. I don't think being an activist has any reflection on your doula-ness! Some are passionate about that side of things and some aren't --thats it. The idea of helping one couple at a time sounded so appealing when I first began this doula journey but it wasn't long before I realized that it just wasn't enough for me...I need to do more. I do think, however, that the "one couple at a time" doulas are no more/no less important than the activist ones. We each have our place and we will be effective in our own ways. I don't see the activism thing as part of being a doula, the doula road just took me to activism. In my mind they are separate.

I believe everything happens for a reason, and its so fun to look back and see just how all of life's events lead us to where we are now.
Good for your Christy, and I totally agree with what you are saying. We are all important and we all make a difference whether its ripples or waves.

syncreo · 07-08-2007, 01:18 PM

Thought I already replied to this

Definite activist here - but hey, I am pretty much an activist by heart and my birth activism is part of the larger issues that I feel connected and inspired by.

My clients probably don't think I am an activist because that is not who they hired - they hired me as a doula or cbe and to me those roles are seperate from my activist role.

I don't think every doula needs to be a birth activist just as every birth activist is not a doula. The two roles can sit nicely side by side but it doesnt make either one better by doing so.

ctowndoula · 07-09-2007, 07:13 PM

Nope not every doula needs to be an activist. Just looking for ideas for those of us who are (or would like to be).