I am very pleased to announce that four whole months before it even starts, the MotherWit Birth Doula Training is just about filled to capacity. Soon, all spots may be filled, some interviews still pending.
For all of you who really wanted to attend but couldn’t because you lived in let’s say Alaska or Timbuktu, don’t despair. I love to travel! If you are willing to host the MotherWit training in your area (hosting meaning setting up a suitable venue, helping us gather together a minimum of 10 participants, and letting us know about good accommodations, etc.), you get to train for free. Depending upon where you live, it will either be a six day intensive, or 2 three day workshops.
I offer apprenticeship here in Montreal, which I believe is a crucial aspect of growing into doulahood comfortably, and am beginning to set up a network in which experienced doulas can provide mentorship to novice doulas in their area, who so badly need to be shown the ropes of the local hospitals and witness firsthand, without the pressure to “perform”, the power amazing senior doula care has to potentially make a birth experience a great one. I believe mentorship, which I have been providing for years, is one of the missing links in increasing the confidence and skills of new doulas with nurturing support…doula-ing the doula, essentially. For trainings which don’t provide the opportunity for mentorship, it is not too hard to get it. You can network with known doulas in your area, and most will probably be quite happy to allow you to shadow them a little to their pre/post natal meetings and births. If it is not possible, asking your doula trainer how you can go about at least getting phone or skype support periodically is probably a good idea.
Women come to the path of birth attending from all different back-grounds, and there are many wonderful trainings out there to meet the needs of those who are inspired to do this work. I so honour the big organizations like DONA, CAPPA, ICEA, ALACE, etc., who have worked tirelessly to promote doula care on a global level, provide training and emphasise safe scopes of practice. To all of you who are involved in paving the way for doulas far and wide, thank you, thank you, thank you! You are creating the potential for better births, and this so vitally important! There are also more specialized trainings, like Hypno Birthing Doulas, Lamaze Doulas, Bradley method doulas, Birthing From Within Mentors, etc. There is so much richness for potential clients to choose from, and to know they will be well supported in their transition into parenthood within the context of support they desire is very reassuring indeed.
I think standards of practice can vary, providing a doula does not provide skills which are considered clinical (and could potentially harm a client). Many people have varying opinions on that, and really, since there is no licensing, as long as you follow the outlines of the organizations you’re associated with, there is room for variance among organizations.
I am just a small drop in the bucket. I’m just a woman who loves birth, got my doula training in a 2-3 day workshop like everyone else, committed myself to continuing my education through massage etc. to widen my knowledge base, and have been blessed enough to have been invited to hundreds of births. I feel I’ve learned and experienced enough to provide quite a thorough training, but I think it’s important for a doula, when deciding upon what training to embark upon, to follow her heart. She should choose what resonates most with her. Some prefer to be certified by a powerhouse of an organization, some like to learn a few extra skills along the way, and some like to go a little more grassroots. It’s all good. Just ensure you are being taught clearly what is inside and outside of a now pretty much universally accepted doula scope of practice, good knowledge about the process of birth and how to support it respectfully no matter what a client’s choice, a bit about how to put yourself out there in the world to get clients, and how to relate well to the primary caregivers you work with. It is an enriching path, and there is such a wealth of knowledge and support out there. HAVE FUN! It is the most amazing job in the world.
Lesley I am very glad to see your piece on mentoring here and that you are actually taking the steps to create a network.
I hope that the experienced doulas will step up and offer their time to it. as very few of us in my community offer this to new doulas.
In some of our local hospitals they have implemented a two person support rule so it excludes new doulas from following along to the birth. However, mentor ship still includes answering questions, participation in prenatal visits, being available for decompression, offering business tips, balancing family life and doula life etc.
I believe it should be part of the doula training curriculum and much stronger fostering of doula cohesion as well.
I will look forward to following your future posts.
Hi Tracey. I have mentored many doulas, usually for several births, and it makes ALL the difference. I'm setting up a MotherWit Birth Doula Mentoring program, in which doulas who are not necessarily trained by me but are experienced (I will have a standard of experience…I think people shouldn't apprentice others until they've attended 30 births or so), can do a workshop with me to fill in what I consider might be gaps, teach them how to nurture a doula throughout her learning process, and how to ensure she provides appropriate, wonderful care.
Some hospitals here also have a 2 person rule, but if that's the case, we often talk to the ombudsperson to bend that rule.
I feel even just one shadowing experience is as valueable as the training itself. And for me, it's WONDERFUL, because two heads are better than one. I learn so much from my girls, and we have a wonderful time being at births together. I would have to say mentoring is my very favourite thing about being a doula trainer.
You're serious about travelling to Africa? Speak French?
I am actually travelling to Madagascar potentially this Fall, but for a teaching/learning exchange with midwives there, not to do doula training. But yes, I speak enough French to communicate..there are members of the MotherWit team who are fluent.
What are you thinking? My curiosity is piqued.
Well, I live in Ivory Coast…
I would really like some doula training myself (yet haven't the slightest idea what to do with it here) So I'd have to think about it (how to round up enough people) I think it might be benificial for a few women over here to receive such training, it could do the community great good. There's still a great knowledge gap when it comes to birth and breastfeeding here. People tend to trust the doctors now, but half the time they are underqualified and don't really know what they are talking about.
If you'd ever want to attend a huge amount of births… (there's two birth a day on our plantation alone)
Wow! That sounds fascinating! This is something that could potentially even be funded by a government grant, like through the Global Woman's foundation. You may want to look into it.
Ooh… Now you are making me be exited. OK, let me bounce around in exitement for a little while and then I'll try to figure things out