Hello,

I have always enjoyed the miracle of birth and have attended three births and have two children. I didn't know much about doulas when I had my two children but I really wish I had.

Anyway...I am very interested in becoming a doula. I will be taking a class at the end of March.

Is there any advice that you feel would help me in becoming and/or succeeding as a doula? (Possibly something I should keep from saying or doing while assisting a mother in labor? Or something that really helps you? Any equipment I should buy...such as a birth ball etc...)

Any advice is welcome from doulas or women becoming doulas.

Thanks for your time!

Suzette Martinez

-- Suzette Martinez (martinez1994@hotmail.com), January 30, 2002

Answers

Hi Suzette! I am a doula who got trained just last year by a DONA workshop. I think that the best advice that I can give you is that there isn't anything wrong that you can do during a birth when you are just there to support a woman. Just follow your heart and feed off of the cues that the women are giving you while they are in labor. There are a few books that I can recommend that are really great in getting not only clinical information but good info on support. One is Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Penny Simkin and the Birth Partner which is also written by Penny. Also Spiritual Midwifery is very inspiring and has great stories about supporting women in it. As far as equipment goes that depends on the hospitals in your area. Get to know their policies and what kind of equipment they have. Most of the hospitals in my area do not have birth balls and so that has been helpful for me getting clients because the providers tell their patients about me and my birth ball. Good luck!

-- Emily Heldt (emilyavalon@hotmail.com), February 01, 2002.