There are many types of doulas. There are birth, pregnancy, postpartum, death, antepartum, abortion, bereavement, baby, after surgery doula and full spectrum doulas. (www.motherhoodcenter.com) Each has its special flavor for serving at certain crossroads of life.
The doulas that resonate with my calling are preconception doula, pregnancy doula, birth doula, postpartum doula, baby doula, after surgery doula and bereavement doula. These require the doula to be in the present and to sense mother’s needs, talk when necessary, and act upon or get mother to take action when necessary. The doulas are not people who take the place of doctors or nurses. She can not answer for the family when decisions are to be made. She does gather information, and give resources for mother and father to find pertinent information that helps them to make informed choices about decisions that need to be made in the moment or somewhere down the road pertaining to childbirth and parenting.
As a preconception doula, I have experience in identifying how mother and father can become united in their conceiving for healthy offspring. With permissions, I give the information I have for them, and I give suggestions that can be helpful for parents to clear their systems of toxins as much as is possible. I suggest food that can benefit healthy eggs and sperm. I give ideas that can help cells become healthy in the body and to help the man’s semen not be allergic to mother’s system. There are ways I have learned. I know herbs that help to balance the hormones and systems of hopeful parents.
As a pregnancy doula, I find information that a mother may need to be aware of for her health, baby’s health and for a healthy pregnancy. This could be going for walks, discussing nutrition, sleep patterns, or alternative supports for pregnancy. This could be researching information for when baby arrives, in regards to cord cutting, lotus birth, shots, ointments, labs and skin to skin care. This research can lead mother and father to become aware of the important decisions they will need to make as they are inducted into parenthood.
As a postpartum doula, I am able to remind mother of the decisions she anticipated making prior to birth. I can give mom personal tools to help her make commanding decisions for herself and her baby. She can become confident with the tools I like to share. When decisions are suddenly put upon new parents, they tend to trust anyone that tells them they must do something. Alternatively, they trust websites and search no further. As a postpartum doula, I want parents to search for truth that determines the best path for them and their family. I want them to know they have time to make decisions and they have the responsibility to buy time to make informed decisions for themselves and their growing family. Choosing to be informed in order to make real informed decisions, means they know risks, and benefits, and what is necessary and unnecessary for health and the healthy biome of baby and selves. As a postpartum doula, I make sure mother is able to breastfeed if that is a possibility. I also make sure she is hydrated, fed and able to sleep when baby sleeps. Also, I support dad to be as active in his role as is possible. I remind him, that his time to be baby’s model comes sooner than a person feels ready for. For now, dad must sleep enough, be supportive of mother, do skin to skin when he can with baby, and chill while as he takes the experience in stride, being totally present during this life changing event.
If a baby is in need of special care, I am able to be a baby doula. I can give hugs, I can find another mother’s milk from a milk bank in case mother has some special reasons she is unable to nurse her little one. If baby is in the NICU, I can sit with baby, and with hospital permission, I can stay with baby and then take baby to mother when mother is able to hold her little one. I can change diapers or just hug baby to let baby know it is loved.
As a miscarriage doula, I can stay with mother as long as mother needs. I can help mother where she needs. I can allow mother to process or talk about her experience. I can sit with her while she awaits the baby to pass. Or I can be available for when mother wants to pass the miscarried child. I can find ways to celebrate the short life of the child. I can take pictures, or make artwork that helps the parents remember this special child. I offer my availability for the parents to go through their grieving time and then to help them ceremoniously allow baby to have a memorial service. This is a bereavement doula.
There is one more doula that I enjoy being. It is the post-surgery doula. That is taking time to be with a person who has gone through surgery and needs to recover. The person may be on a schedule to take medications and I am willing to be that person who sets the time for this type of care that may need waking every 2 hours. I am available to have foods and drink ready for the post-surgery person who often may not even feel hungry. I remind the person it is important to eat plenty of protein as every cell in the body needs protein to function well. Also, figuring out the proper amount of salt is important as the salts and electrolytes help nutrients to pass nutrition into the cells.
These are my doula services that I feel able to offer to others. These are the doula styles that fit my calling. If you are interested in any of them, do send In Touch and In Tune a note and I will get back to you. Balance@intouchandintune.com
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