I am currently studying to become a certified "doula", or as I prefer to call it: a birth servant, with the International College of Spiritual Midwifery.
When it comes to birth; women, men and children all have needs that will call to be met. In our culture the physical needs of the woman and child during and immediately after birth are recognised. Unfortunately, sometimes these needs are seen as the only needs within the birthing experience. However, there are many emotional, mental and spiritual needs in addition to the physical. These non-physical needs are also present for fathers and partners at birth. But within the medical model of care provision there is not always the space to meet all these needs. This is why the doula/birth servant is becoming an important asset to the family birth experience.
Before we had the medical knowledge and equipment that we have today, childbirth was not seen as a medical ailment, birth was women's business. When a woman went into labour in the pre-industrial Western world it was often treated like a social occasion. Local women would come to the birthing woman's home and eat, drink, and talk with her and each other as she laboured. Midwives weren't the medical professionals that they are today, although they were wise when it came to women's health and birth. Midwives are still the experts when it comes to birth today (second in wisdom only to the birthing woman herself), but now they are also medically educated and skilled.
Birth servants on the other hand are not medically educated or medically skilled. Certified birth servants are specially trained in tending to the birthing woman's (and family's) non-medical needs before, during, and after labour. I see the role of the birth servant of today as similar to the role of the midwife of old. Birth servants are employed to support the birthing woman and family, and serve the non-medical needs for that particular birth experience. A lot of the birth servant's work takes place before labour begins, in helping the birthing woman prepare for the journey ahead.
It is a great honour for any one to attend a woman's birth experience, regardless of their role. As a student I volunteer my birth serving skills free of charge, thankful for the opportunity to gain experience and to be a part of something as unique and sacred as welcoming a new soul to this world.
Some of the tasks a birth servant can perform include: sharing her library of books, video, CDs and DVDs about birth and parenting with the expecting family, help the pregnant woman plan for the kind of birth that most appeals to her, massage the labouring woman, hand feed her, offer her drinks, whisper words of encouragement, hold her hand, help the birthing woman and her partner be active decision makers during labour, help them communicate with hospital or birthing centre staff, give her partner and/or the baby's father an opportunity to take a break and get some rest, fill a birth pool with warm water, care for the birthing woman's children, cleaning the house, visit the family regularly after birth to see how everyone is going and if there is anything more she can do for them...
Related Pages:
Childbirth - Your Options
The Services I Offer
Testimonials
My Birth Photography
When it comes to birth; women, men and children all have needs that will call to be met. In our culture the physical needs of the woman and child during and immediately after birth are recognised. Unfortunately, sometimes these needs are seen as the only needs within the birthing experience. However, there are many emotional, mental and spiritual needs in addition to the physical. These non-physical needs are also present for fathers and partners at birth. But within the medical model of care provision there is not always the space to meet all these needs. This is why the doula/birth servant is becoming an important asset to the family birth experience.
Before we had the medical knowledge and equipment that we have today, childbirth was not seen as a medical ailment, birth was women's business. When a woman went into labour in the pre-industrial Western world it was often treated like a social occasion. Local women would come to the birthing woman's home and eat, drink, and talk with her and each other as she laboured. Midwives weren't the medical professionals that they are today, although they were wise when it came to women's health and birth. Midwives are still the experts when it comes to birth today (second in wisdom only to the birthing woman herself), but now they are also medically educated and skilled.
Birth servants on the other hand are not medically educated or medically skilled. Certified birth servants are specially trained in tending to the birthing woman's (and family's) non-medical needs before, during, and after labour. I see the role of the birth servant of today as similar to the role of the midwife of old. Birth servants are employed to support the birthing woman and family, and serve the non-medical needs for that particular birth experience. A lot of the birth servant's work takes place before labour begins, in helping the birthing woman prepare for the journey ahead.
It is a great honour for any one to attend a woman's birth experience, regardless of their role. As a student I volunteer my birth serving skills free of charge, thankful for the opportunity to gain experience and to be a part of something as unique and sacred as welcoming a new soul to this world.
Some of the tasks a birth servant can perform include: sharing her library of books, video, CDs and DVDs about birth and parenting with the expecting family, help the pregnant woman plan for the kind of birth that most appeals to her, massage the labouring woman, hand feed her, offer her drinks, whisper words of encouragement, hold her hand, help the birthing woman and her partner be active decision makers during labour, help them communicate with hospital or birthing centre staff, give her partner and/or the baby's father an opportunity to take a break and get some rest, fill a birth pool with warm water, care for the birthing woman's children, cleaning the house, visit the family regularly after birth to see how everyone is going and if there is anything more she can do for them...
Related Pages:
Childbirth - Your Options
The Services I Offer
Testimonials
My Birth Photography
