What are we “allowed” to do as doulas?

Dear doula,

Were you instilled with the fear of the birth gods of doing something “wrong” during a birth? Do you feel like you have to leave some of your skills at the door during a birth because it’s outside of your “scope” of practice? 

Let’s break this down & re-think it a bit.

Let’s be real. For better or worse, being a doula is a bit lawless. There’s no board, no oversight, and no legal body telling us what we can and can’t do. Even if you were trained by a big organization, they can not control the way that you practice and support your clients.

This can come with its own challenges. Birthwork can totally feel like the wild west, with everyone practicing differently, saying different things, and bringing different philosophies and mindsets to the birth room. It can be hard for both parents and doulas to sift through all of the different advice and personalities out there! 

But in all honesty, I think that these challenges can also bring a lot of beauty to this work! We are our OWN bosses, we drive our own ships, and we get to decide what feels right to us. This also means that we get to find our own people, the doulas and birthworkers who we resonate with and connect with. And I hope that if you’re here and reading this, you feel at home, safe, and seen in my corner of the doula internet. 

So, what are you “allowed” to do as a doula? 

In my opinion, as long as you’re not causing harm and not providing medical care or medical advice, the world is your oyster! 

Do you know about herbs for pregnancy and birth? Please, share that info with your clients! Are you knowledgeable about Spinning Babies? That insight is vital! Are you familiar with the hospital and know how to turn off the beeping machines and what they mean? For the love of the gods touch the machines! 

I like to say that I don’t offer medical advice, but I do speak the medical language. As a doula that primarily attends hospital births and has for the last 8+ years, I sure as heck know how to read a fetal monitor. When I became a doula, it was deeply ingrained that this is NOT allowed. I understand why- there’s a chance that we can say something incorrect or misguide our clients, but overtime we get to know what feels good and safe to us as doulas, and what doesn’t. 

Use your skills! Don’t be scared! And know that these skills will grow and change overtime. 

These are things I’ll never do as a doula:
Offer medical advice or medical care (ie cervical exams)
Tell my clients what I think they SHOULD do
Say what I would do if I were them, what I did in my birth, or what someone else did

Things I will do as a doula:
Support my clients
Give them herbs, homeopaths, and use aromatherapy
Share my insight on what is going on
Help the nurse with basic tasks because I know she’s hella busy & birth is a team sport 🤠

As doulas, we wear a LOT of hats. We’re passionate about birth and SO much more! Don’t feel like you can’t wear all of your hats at once, because at the end of the day…we’re humans who are here to offer support, and we will use every part of who we are to do that.

Xoxo,

Evan