Celebrity moms like Molly Sims have happily talked about laboring with a doula, but is it something that the average person can get into? For the uninitiated, doulas might seem like a crunchy option for the uber-organic pregnancy set. But in reality, doulas are available for every kind of birthing process, including home births, fully medicated hospital births and everything in between. Below are a few tips to help clear up the basics of who a doula is and what to expect if you hire one for your baby’s birth.
1. Who Are Doulas: Doulas are trained labor and delivery coaches. They’re essentially professional birthers. You may be picturing some earth-mother type with crystals and patchouli, but in reality, they’re often real women like you who are hooked on helping other mamas bring healthy babies into the world. In a nutshell, a doula’s a hired expert and helper who can provide prenatal consultation, labor and delivery support and postpartum care.
2. How a Doula Is Beneficial: In a study by the American Journal of Managed Care, the presence of a doula at birth shows to reduce the need for assisted births (by c-section, forceps or vacuum extraction), reduce labor time, minimize the use of drugs during birth and can provide an overall more positive delivery experience. A doula can also give support to your birth partner so they can provide effective support to you. Doulas are also a great resource for women who do not have birth partners or who have partners who may be squeamish or otherwise unreliable throughout labor and delivery.
3. What a Doula Does: A doula’s services can include everything from education about the birthing process, assistance with creating a birth plan, support throughout labor and delivery and help once you’re home with the baby. When the big delivery day comes, a doula will work with you to support the labor you’ve planned. This can include providing pain management techniques, answering questions when you’re not sure what’s happening and being an advocate for your comfort and preferences. She’s 100 percent on your team and looking out for you.
4. What a Doula Won’t Do: Doulas are *not* medical professionals and they won’t perform medical procedures, give medical advice, prescribe medication or get in the way of medical staff. Doulas also won’t get between you and your birth partner, unless it’s requested.
5. How to Find a Doula: There are quite a few ways to start searching for a doula. Some OB/GYN practices and birthing centers fully embrace the doula experience and may have some referrals for you. So it’s not a bad idea to start by asking your doctor or hospital if they know of any good doulas in their professional network. There are also a few sites — like Doulas of North America (DONA) and The Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators (ALACE) — to check out that can give more info on doula services.
Did you hire a doula for your child’s birth? Tell us about your experience @BritandCo!
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.