And So It Begins…

Me, Tyana, working with a postpartum family this summer.

I have been a doula for about 5 years. I trained and certified as a birth doula through DONA International. After the birth of my twins, I trained with DONA as a postpartum doula. The training I received was stellar. I could not have been more pleased.

I’ve found, through the years, that I have been displeased with DONA’s member services. I don’t feel valued most of the time, and have had some negative interactions, with few positive ones. I also know that I am not the only doula feeling this way about DONA. I have a background in customer service, and I have often felt that I could do a better job.

I used to think that the doula community in my town was unique. Doulas often accused each other of backbiting, being “clique-ish,” and not valuing certification. The more I investigate other areas, I know that we aren’t unique, but maybe we were ahead of the curve. The doula community at large has taken a turn into being competitive, and mean. This turn has recently inspired a doula to create a pledge for doulas to take agreeing essentially to be nicer to each other. Ironically though, I have been finding my own community to be getting closer over the last year, but this could be just my own perspective.

I believe that doulas and other birth professionals can gain more by lifting each other up, and educating the public on how they can help women and families, rather than tearing each other down by behaving in ways that “compete” with each other. To that end, the founder of Birthing As Nature Intended, Teresa Van-Zeller, and I have begun the process of creating a new certifying organization for birth and postpartum doulas. An organization that will go beyond teaching women how to support the laboring woman and new mother, but also how to be a good community member and mentor.

I became a certified B.A.N.I.™ instructor about two years ago. The foundation behind B.A.N.I.™ is that women know how to give birth innately, and they should be allowed to move through their space and birth their babies the way that feels right to them as individuals. There is nothing more natural than women supporting each other during this transformative time in life. Historically, women have always assisted each other during birth and the postpartum period, but this doesn’t happen nearly as often in our current society with families living so far apart.

So the two of us will embark on this journey of creating a birth and postpartum doula certification organization that completely compliments the Birthing As Nature Intended Childbirth Education curriculum that Teresa created years ago.