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Doula Mamas Tribe

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7K views 78 replies 44 participants last post by  Caitlin0919 
#1 ·
I didn't see a tribe for doula mamas as I was searching, but if I missed it, hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes! I'd love to get to know other mamas who have been through it as well as helped others through it!
 
#29 ·
Hi! I'm a new doula and a mother of 2. My kids are 1.5 and almost 4. I am not yet certified with DONA, but I have all my paperwork purchased and now I am wondering if I should go through with the certification or not. I love working with essential oils and bringing my clients an herbal bath afterwards and I am pretty sure that would all be out of my scope of practice as a DONA doula. Thoughts?

The trickiest part for me, so far, has not been childcare because I have an awesome support system and live near all my family, but the sleep deprivation. People are of course so willing to help when I'm AT a birth, but then afterwards and getting very little sleep I am having such a hard time caring for my 2 young kids by myself on basically no sleep. So I need to figure that one out. I know I need to ask for help, but I guess that's hard for me to do.

I love being a doula though!! I am going to Hypnobabies training next weekend and then I'll be a CBE and I teach prenatal yoga, so it all fits together really nicely, I think. So happy to have found my life's passion!!
 
#31 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gypsymama22girls View Post

I am also an aspiring doula, lactation consultant, CBE, midwife asst. :) I plan to start next month. I am in the process of buying books now. I hope to be able to officially join this thread soon. Has anyone been certified through Birth Arts Intl?
Hey Melanie! I am certifying through Birth Arts as both a doula and childbirth educator. I love the assignments, work and reading lists. Good luck!
 
#32 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsJPS View Post

Question for you Doula Mamas:

Did you start attending births before you experienced childbirth for yourself? If so, how has your own birth(s) affected/changed the way you support mothers, now that you are a mother yourself?
I'd had four children before I took my doula training. One way I know it affects the way I practice is that I think about how I remember my births and how I want my clients to feel like they were treated.

Quote:
I love working with essential oils and bringing my clients an herbal bath afterwards and I am pretty sure that would all be out of my scope of practice as a DONA doula. Thoughts?
You may want to consider certifying through an organization that is a better fit with your personal philosophy. Have you looked into Birth Arts or BirthWorks?
 
#34 ·
Quote:
You may want to consider certifying through an organization that is a better fit with your personal philosophy. Have you looked into Birth Arts or BirthWorks?
I just looked into Birth Arts.... so cool!! If only I had the money to do ANOTHER doula certification, haha! All the doulas in my area either are certified through DONA or choose not to get certified. I have not encountered anyone certified through a different organization, so I guess I didn't even realize there were so many options out there! So far I have not had one client or potential client even ask me if I was certified or not. I say that I am DONA trained sometimes, but that isn't even typically asked.

I just recently attended a homebirth and the midwife didn't have an assistant and taught me how to make her postpartum herbal ice packs and do some other assistanty things... and pretty sure she kinda made me want to be a CPM!! NO time for it right now, but maybe someday?? I think I'll work as a doula for a few years, since I'm new to it all right now, and my kids are so young :)
 
#35 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindsayjean View Post

I just looked into Birth Arts.... so cool!! If only I had the money to do ANOTHER doula certification, haha! All the doulas in my area either are certified through DONA or choose not to get certified. I have not encountered anyone certified through a different organization, so I guess I didn't even realize there were so many options out there! So far I have not had one client or potential client even ask me if I was certified or not. I say that I am DONA trained sometimes, but that isn't even typically asked.

I just recently attended a homebirth and the midwife didn't have an assistant and taught me how to make her postpartum herbal ice packs and do some other assistanty things... and pretty sure she kinda made me want to be a CPM!! NO time for it right now, but maybe someday?? I think I'll work as a doula for a few years, since I'm new to it all right now, and my kids are so young :)
I'm like you. There are sooo many things I want to do. Starting with becoming a certified doula. My daughter is still young and we plan to have more children, so I'm taking it slow. It's my 10 year plan, really. I'm working on finding a stable, yet flexible day job so I can fund all these things I want to do. After doula, I'd like to get certified to teach childbirth classes, then down the line probably lactation consultant. As much as I love the birth process, I haven't yet had the desire to be a midwife. Maybe a midwife's assistant one day. I think that level of responsibility is a little to much for me, personally.

I also want to take it slow in case this is a passing fancy. I'm known to have those.
winky.gif
Birth is something I've been interested in since I was an adolescent, but I just decided on becoming a doula several months ago. So, I'll stick with one thing for a while and see how I like it before diving in with more certifications and spending more money.
 
#38 ·
I'm a certified doula (via DONA), childbirth educator, and midwife's assistant. I have one toddler and a second child on the way. To answer an above question, I didn't even know what a doula was before I got pregnant the first time, but started down that path immediately after discovering it (before my first was born).
 
#40 ·
Hi Doula Mamas! My name is Kristen and I'm from IL. I attended the DONA training workshop 4 years ago. At that time our 3rd child was 8 months old and a few years after that we had another baby. So working on my certification got put on the shelf. I am now back in training with Intuitive Doula. I am getting most of my assignments done, but now I'm getting to the "hands on" portion of certification. I'm a little nervous though because of my inexperience.
 
#41 ·
Hi all - I have been a doula for 8 yrs now and have 9 children. I started doula work when my seventh child was almost 2 yrs old (she turns 10 yrs old today woohoo), and at the time thought I was done having babies. Several years later hubby and I changed our minds and now we have our two sweet babies who are 2 and 1 yr old. I have done doula work through the last two pregnancies and in both cases actually did my final clients three weeks before my babies arrived, and I went back when they were around 3-4 months old. With my daughter I took a student doula with so I could take breaks to pump and in case it was long (it wasn't) and with my son I just lucked out that the first few births back were shorter.
 
#43 ·
So, how is everyone doing? whats on all of your calendars for the next few moths?

I'm still working on building up my volume and hope to get an average of 2 clients per month by the end of the year, for births, and 6-10 postpartum per year. I'd like ot teach CBE (privately) a little more often then I do, but I barely advertise it, so that is no real suprise. :)

I have clients due each moth for the next 4 months, then a break (family vacation!!!) then an august client and that is it. I've had 2 interviews this week for fall clients, and would love to get my fall schedule going now too!!! I've got 2 postpartum clients on my schedule too, so that is good :)
 
#44 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by rebirth View Post

So, how is everyone doing? whats on all of your calendars for the next few moths?

I'm still working on building up my volume and hope to get an average of 2 clients per month by the end of the year, for births, and 6-10 postpartum per year. I'd like ot teach CBE (privately) a little more often then I do, but I barely advertise it, so that is no real suprise. :)

I have clients due each moth for the next 4 months, then a break (family vacation!!!) then an august client and that is it. I've had 2 interviews this week for fall clients, and would love to get my fall schedule going now too!!! I've got 2 postpartum clients on my schedule too, so that is good :)
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Sounds like a fantastic year planned!
 
#45 ·
I am doing really well. I was working for a hospital doula program, but just resigned this past weekend because I was taking too many call shifts and simply not getting enough clients. Being in school and blocking all of that time and not getting clients was really frustrating and then they wanted me to take even more call shifts and I just couldn't commit. As it was I was taking 13 (24 hour) call shifts this month and being in school. Sadly I had one birth through them in January, none in February and one in March - just doesn't pan out to be on call that much and then not get paid for all of those hours.

As far as what is coming - I recently started a soon to be non profit group so that has kept me very busy. We are going to be working with teen and low income mothers - offering classes, doulas, mentors, etc.

I also teach part time for a local hospital (3 days per month), but sometime in the next few months will be adding a new class to my roster so will be teaching weekly for a few hours on Sundays.

I am also in school working on my nursing degree, and might take postpartum clients if they come, but am not actively looking for any clients.
 
#46 ·
"So, how is everyone doing? whats on all of your calendars for the next few moths?" """

The next couple of weeks on my calendar look a little crazy.

I'm staffing a table at a children's consignment sale with our doula group this weekend, March 18-20.

March 21- Taking a client to childbirth class at hospital

March 23- Interviewing possible babysitter

March 24- Doula Connection meeting

March 29- Leaving for Midwifery Today conference

April 4- Arriving back home

April 7- Speaking at childbirth class

April 10- Natural Health Expo

April 13- Meeting with L&D head nurse at local hospital

April 14- Doula Connection Parent Night

April 11- Prenatal meeting w/client

April 18- Prenatal meeting w/client

RIght now, I have one client due in March, one around the end of April, one in early May, one in June and one in October (already hired me!).
 
#47 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by phathui5 View Post

"So, how is everyone doing? whats on all of your calendars for the next few moths?" """

The next couple of weeks on my calendar look a little crazy.

I'm staffing a table at a children's consignment sale with our doula group this weekend, March 18-20.

March 21- Taking a client to childbirth class at hospital

March 23- Interviewing possible babysitter

March 24- Doula Connection meeting

March 29- Leaving for Midwifery Today conference

April 4- Arriving back home

April 7- Speaking at childbirth class

April 10- Natural Health Expo

April 13- Meeting with L&D head nurse at local hospital

April 14- Doula Connection Parent Night

April 11- Prenatal meeting w/client

April 18- Prenatal meeting w/client

RIght now, I have one client due in March, one around the end of April, one in early May, one in June and one in October (already hired me!).
I hope my buisness grows as well as yours!!!
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#49 ·
Mama K - I am in Southwest Washington as well. Have you been to any of the BSN meetings? I am trying to network with some more Vancouver area folks, seems most everything goes on in Portland. I recently attended a day long talk from Barbara Harper on waterbirth, it was at Southwest Washington medical Center. I met a midwife from Legacy Salmon Creek who is going to show me around her place and aquaint me with their birth pools. Lots of exciting things going on in good ol' Vancouver!
 
#51 ·
Hi! This is a great thread! I was recently certified as a birth doula, but before that I was attending births through a local hospital doula program. I am now starting my own doula business, but I'm not too sure how to go about advertising. What has worked best for all of you? I'd love to get more clients, but in CT, it almost seems like it's getting over-saturated! We're such a tiny state!

I also have 4 children of my own, ranging in ages from 9 (in a few days!) to 1 year old. I homeschool and sell slings on the side, plus I'd love to get involved in teaching more childbirth classes. Currently, I am teaching for a couple planning a homebirth.

Heather:)
 
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