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Sustaining Sisterhood: Overcoming Identity Politics and Divisions in the Doula Community

In the ever-evolving field of birth work, we are no strangers to passionate discussions, deep introspection, and the pursuit of justice. However, recently, identity politics has taken over doulas’ discussions, threatening to divide us and break doulas’ sisterhood. A post I recently read in an active doulas group has received tens of ‘likes’ and sympathizing comments, caught my attention:

“Doula’s work has been saturated with white supremacy, colonialism, capitalism, and cultural appropriation. The sacredness of this work is being lost right before our eyes.”

OUCH!

These words felt like an indictment of the very work I, and many of us, hold sacred. Pioneer doulas, while predominantly white due to systemic privileges that granted them access to education and resources, were far from being supremacists or colonialists. Instead, they were victims of the same patriarchal obstetric system that devalued traditional midwifery and dismissed the autonomy of ALL birthing individuals. These early birth workers, like many doulas nowadays, were activists who courageously challenged the male-dominated medical establishment, advocating for physiological childbirth and the empowerment of birthing people. Our work sought to reclaim and preserve the sacredness of birth. Far from perpetuating oppression, we work to dismantle it, creating pathways for more inclusive and respectful birth practices.

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When Empowerment Misses the Mark: Pitfalls in Birth Support Empowerment

Empowerment lies at the heart of birth professionals’ work and is one of the primary goals in supporting expectant and new parents. Empowering means instilling confidence, fostering autonomy, and equipping individuals with the tools to make decisions about their birthing and parenting experiences. Empowering expectant and new parents is about letting them feel seen, heard, and engaged—trusting they have the knowledge, strength, and autonomy to navigate the challenges of childbirth and early parenthood. However, sometimes empowerment misses the mark and bears pitfalls. Empowerment takes more than encouraging and informing; it’s about cultivating internal authority and ownership. That’s precisely what Transformational Birth Support Coaching helps individuals undergoing childbearing feel. 

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Empowering Black Birthgivers!

Throughout history, black women have suffered from medical exploitation, neglect, and mistreatment during childbirth. This has left a long-lasting impact on contemporary healthcare disparities, resulting in higher rates of maternal and newborn mortality and complications among black birthing individuals. Educational initiatives have been taken to address this situation within birth support. These initiatives rely on two primary strategies – acknowledgment and education. With this article, you’ll discover the power of transformational prenatal coaching in empowering black birthgivers and tackling the root cause of the situation – authoritative relationships.

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Advocacy Strategy that Promotes Patient-Centered Maternal Care

Patient engagement, patient-centered care, and partnerships among patients, their support group, and medical caregivers are the qualities leading to safety of care and patient satisfaction in general healthcare and maternal care. By learning to lead co-active and effective conversations in L&D, you can help the maternal care system achieve these goals.

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