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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Doula-ing Update

As I mentioned in the previous post I am mid-way through my fourth book off the required reading list for doula certification. I have one more to read after this one.

Last night I attended a breastfeeding class to meet another requirement. It was pretty neat to be in a room full of beautifully pregnant women. I'm not sure how much I learned though, having already read the material in much more detail in Breastfeeding Made Simple. Next month I start a five week childbirth education series at one of the other hospitals in the area. I decided to split the classes up at different hospitals in hopes of meeting more folks in the field.

Tonight after work I will tag along with one of my doula mentors on her initial meeting with a potential new client. It will be good to see the whole process from the get-go. If the mom chooses to work with us, she should deliver in December.

At the beginning of this month I attended my first birth with another doula mentor. It was the most amazing experience imaginable. It absolutely confirmed that this is something I want to do. I hope that after a couple more mentoring births I will feel ready to go out on my own!

5 comments:

Momma Val said...

Wow! I cannot imagine how amazing that must be. Wish I could have gone the natural route (sigh). I admire what you are doing :)

Smellyann said...

This all sounds like so much fun. you're making me want to be a doula, too!

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Very interesting.

OK, I have a weird question, how much does this cost the mothers? Is it only well-to-do people who can afford it?

a/k/a Nadine said...

Mary, absolutely not. We really believe that anyone that wants a doula should be able to have one. Sliding scales are offered for fees, as well as a variety of payment plans. Our prices are very reasonable, and we also work with non-paying clients on a volunteer basis.

Smellyann, I think you would be an awesome doula, lactation consultant, or childbirth educator. :-)

BerryBird said...

How did the meeting with the potential new client go? I agree that seeing the process from beginning to end will be very helpful.