Westside Doula

DONA International , the largest doula organization, recommends the following questions to interview your doula:

• What training have you had? (If a doula is certified, you might consider checking with the organization.)
• Do you have one or more backup doulas for times when you are not available? May we meet her/them?
• What is your fee, what does it include and what are your refund policies?

When interviewing a birth doula...

• Tell me about your experience as a birth doula.
• What is your philosophy about birth and supporting women and their partners through labor?
• May we meet to discuss our birth plans and the role you will play in supporting me through birth?
• May we call you with questions or concerns before and after the birth?
• When do you try to join women in labor? Do you come to our home or meet us at the place of birth?
• Do you meet with us after the birth to review the labor and answer questions?

Here at Westside Doula , we also strongly suggest that you also consider CHEMISTRY.  Labor and birth can be messy affairs.  You need to establish a strong and open relationship with your doula.  If you are looking for a grandmotherly type then don't hire a twenty-something doula, or vice-versa.   When you meet with your potential doula, can you imagine:

• Telling her, in the heat of the moment, to *^%$^&^ off and not be worried about hurting her feelings?
• Spending 12 hours with her in a row?
• Asking her to go find something else to do for a while so that you can spend some alone time with your partner?
• Asking her about hemorroid treatment?

From the Huffington Post

Community-Based Doulas: A Good Investment in the Future, by Jane Fonda

The bond between a parent and child is the primary bond, the foundation for the rest of the child's life. The presence or absence of this bond determines much about the child's resiliency and what kind of adult they will grow up to be. For some, being a parent who enables bonding is a natural gift, often learned from one's own parents. For others it is a real challenge. If our mother was unable to bond with us due, for example, to depression, addiction, narcissism, extreme stress or immaturity, it will be extremely difficult for a bond to develop....

From NBC Today Show.

Expecting parents: What is a doula?

A trained birth assistant can help provide support for women and families

By the eighth month of my pregnancy, I had become accustomed to the blank stares and raised eyebrows I received at each mention of my doula. Maybe it was the “doo” or maybe it was the “lah,” but there was something about the tone and feel of the term that rendered the uninitiated people in my life either instantly confused or quickly judgmental...

Advocacy

Westside Doula is a strong supporter of the Birth Action Coalition and other organizations dedicated to bringing save evidence based care to birthing women.  PLease take a moment to read about some work that is being done in our region.

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