Mary’s Center Birth Doula Program: Making Empowered Birth Accessible One Doula at a Time BY AUSTYN HOLLEMAN WITH FAITH BAIARDI PATHWAYS PROFILE
0RGHUQGD\ PLGZLIHU\ SLRQHHU DQG 1DWLRQDO :RPHQ¶V +DOO RI )DPHU,QD0D\*DVNLQVKDUHVLQKHUFKLOGELUWKJXLGH³:HDUHWKHRQO\ VSHFLHVRIPDPPDOWKDWGRXEWVRXUDELOLW\WRJLYHELUWK,W¶VSUR¿WDEOH WRVFDUHZRPHQDERXWELUWK%XWOHW¶VVWRSLW,WHOOZRPHQ <RXUERG\ is not a lemon. You are not a machine…. Even if it has not been your KDELWWKURXJKRXW\RXUOLIHVRIDU,UHFRPPHQGWKDW\RXOHDUQWRWKLQN SRVLWLYHO\DERXW\RXUERG\´ %LUWK GRXODVZRUN HYHU\ GD\ WR VKLIW WKH FROOHFWLYHPLQGVHW WR VHH pregnant people as intuitive and capable birthers empowered to bring babies into the world on their own terms. Through physical and emo- tional support, education, and client-centered advocacy, doulas are bridging the gaps in American obstetrical care and improving both perinatal health and mental health outcomes for families as they wel- come their new little ones into the world. What is a Birth Doula? %LUWK GRXODV DUH WUDLQHG QRQPHGLFDO SURIHVVLRQDOV ZKR SURYLGH continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a birth- ing person before, during, and shortly after childbirth to help them achieve a healthy and empowered birthing experience. They guide families through a labor and delivery process that can be overwhelm- ing and unfamiliar, ensuring the medical information shared during birth is translated into language the birthing person can understand and respond to with truly informed consent. Unlike nurses and other PHGLFDO VWD̆ FOLHQWV PD\ QRW PHHW XQWLO WKH\ DUH LQ ODERU DQG ZKR come and go throughout the birthing process, doulas are a familiar DQG VWHDG\ SUHVHQFH WKDW UHPDLQ DW WKH ELUWKHU¶V VLGH XQWLO DIWHU WKH delivery. %LUWKGRXODV FDQ VXSSRUWELUWKVRIDOO W\SHV LQFOXGLQJERWKPHGL - cated and unmedicated births, cesarean sections, hospital births, and births at home or a birthing center. They play an important role in supporting partners and family members throughout the labor and delivery process as well, ensuring their needs are met and that they IHHOHPSRZHUHGWRDFWLYHO\VXSSRUWWKHELUWKLQJSHUVRQ6RPHH[DP - ples of what birth doula support could look like include: +HOSLQJWKHELUWKLQJSHUVRQEUHDWKHSURSHUO\WKURXJKDFRQWUDF - tion and relax their muscles as to not fatigue too early in labor; 5HDVVXULQJ D SDUWQHU RU IDPLO\ PHPEHU WKH\ ZRQ¶W OHDYH WKH ELUWKHU¶V VLGH VR WKHSDUWQHUIDPLO\PHPEHU FDQ JR HDW RU UHVW IRU D few minutes; • Reiterating to a client what is happening during their labor and supporting them in asking follow-up questions to their medical pro- vider; • Using essential oils, calming lights, and positive imagery to create a physical birthing environment that is relaxing and supportive of the natural birthing process; 6XJJHVWLQJ YDULRXV SRVLWLRQV WKH FOLHQW FDQ ODERU LQ WR VXSSRUW pain management and progression of labor; and 6XSSRUWLQJWKHQHZSDUHQWVLQLQLWLDWLQJVNLQWRVNLQFRQWDFWDQG breastfeeding shortly after birth. 'RXODVDUHFKHHUOHDGHUVQXUWXUHUVHGXFDWRUVDQGIDFLOLWDWRUV²D powerful combination that has a real impact on birth outcomes across the country.
History of Birth Doulas 7KHZRUG³GRXOD´RULJLQDWHVIURPWKH*UHHNZRUGPHDQLQJ³ZRP - HQZKRVHUYH´7KHSUDFWLFHRIZRPHQVXSSRUWLQJHDFKRWKHUGXULQJ the birthing process is an ancient and sacred practice that served as WKHSULPDU\PRGHORIPDWHUQLW\FDUHXQWLOWKHPHGLFDOL]DWLRQRIELUWK LQWKHHDUO\WZHQWLHWKFHQWXU\,QWKH866RXWK³*UDQQ\0LGZLYHV´ ZHUHSULPDULO\ROGHU%ODFNZRPHQWUDLQHGLQ¿UVWDLGDQGKHUEDOPHG - icine that were experienced and well-respected pillars of maternal care. These were the original birth workers in America, providing the compassionate, ritualistic, and community-based maternal care dou- las seek to reestablish in the modern obstetric context. ,QWKHHDUO\WZHQWLHWKFHQWXU\LWZDVGHFLGHGPDWHUQLW\FDUHZRXOG be best managed and provided by male doctors within the hospital setting. The invention of penicillin and anesthesia were used to justi- fy this shift in maternity care, and thus the earliest messages around mistrust of midwifery care outside of the hospital setting were born. 7KHVH PHVVDJHV WXUQHG LQWR ODZV DQG UHJXODWLRQV WKDW H̆HFWLYHO\ SXVKHG%ODFNZRPHQDQGFRPPXQLW\ELUWKZRUNHUVRXWRIPDWHUQLW\ care completely, laying the groundwork for the health disparities in %ODFNPDWHUQDODQGLQIDQWPRUWDOLW\ZHVHHWRGD\ 7KHPRGHUQGD\WHUP³GRXOD´ZDV¿UVWUHFRUGHGLQ by medi- FDODQWKURSRORJLVW'U'DQD5DSKDHO WRPHDQ³RQHZKRPRWKHUV WKH PRWKHU´7KH¿UVWṘFLDOGRXODWUDLQLQJRUJDQL]DWLRQ'RXODVRI1RUWK $PHULFDQ '21$ ZDVIRXQGHGLQ E\UHVHDUFKHUVGRFWRUVDQG midwives who understood the positive impact of continuous support GXULQJODERURQERWKPDWHUQDODQGLQIDQWKHDOWKRXWFRPHV6LQFHWKHQ WKHUROHRIGRXODVKDVH[SDQGHGVLJQL¿FDQWO\WRLQFOXGHQRWRQO\ELUWK support, but also postpartum care and beyond; and there are many SDWKZD\VDQGWUDLQLQJSURJUDPVWRDFKLHYHGRXODFHUWL¿FDWLRQ ,Q WKH ODVW \HDUV WKH UROH RI ELUWK GRXOD VXSSRUW LQ LPSURYLQJ maternal and infant health outcomes has been studied thoroughly and reported on by a number of research institutions, highlighting how doulas play a vital role in improving health disparities for birthers of YDULRXV PDUJLQDOL]HG FRPPXQLWLHV 7KHUH LV ZLGHVSUHDG RUJDQL]LQJ and advocacy happening across the country to expand access to doula care through community-based doula programming, insurance cover- age for doula services, and doula integration into the hospital setting. Nicole Heidbreder, owner and head trainer at GracefulFusion Birth Doula Training in DC, supporting a client using the “double hip squeeze” technique for reducing back pain and easing contraction discomfort during labor.
continued on page 30
PATHWAYS—Winter 21-22—9
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog