How I Became a Doula
by Tammi L. McKinley

It was discovered that my baby was breech at my last prenatal appointment. This was three days before my baby was due. My doctor said either we could try for a version and then be induced the next day, or I could schedule a cesarean section for the following Monday (this was Friday). Of course I chose the version!

The version worked! I was then given doses of prostaglandin gel to soften my cervix and get labor going. By 8am the next morning, I was exhausted from contractions all night. I was dilated about 2cm. My OB broke my bag of waters and administered Pitocin. Once the contractions got unbearable (I was hungry and tired), I said I wanted the epidural and got it. I dilated to 10 cm within 6 hours!

However, after three hours of pushing and the baby stuck at +3, my OB suggested the cesarean section. I asked for more time and was allowed to rest. However, when it was time to push again, I just had nothing left to give. The baby's heart was decelerating, and we were whisked off to the operating room. My daughter was born by Cesarean section.

Only recently have I been able to come to terms with my cesarean section. I believe that a doula could have delivered me from this outcome by telling me various options available (perhaps putting off the Pitocin and epidural for a little longer and getting me walking around). How was I to know that one intervention would lead to the next, and that I had set myself up for a cesarean section? I didn't know any better, but my doula would have!

If you believe that birth is normal and not an illness, then you don't need much training (though I do advocate training). You need to help the woman accept what is happening as it happens during labor. Most of my clients are unmedicated birthers and they especially need the support to continue throughout labor without medication. I can help them find comfortable positions; visualize; vocalize; massage and do anything else that helps get them through.

I have no one way of doing my doula work. I instinctively doula according to the needs of my clients at the time. Not only do I 'doula' the mom but her other support persons as well, be it her husband/partner mom, children, etc. I need to keep the birth environment normal and safe for her and that means helping the other support persons know that what her body is doing is normal. The woman can't labor well if one of her other support persons is freaking out seeing her go through so much pain.

I am working on my certification with Birth Works (http://www.birthworks.org/) and Doulas of North America (http://www.dona.com/). I learned a lot at my Birth Works Doula Workshop in being a good birth companion. I organize the meetings of my local doula group in the Washington DC/Northern VA area. We network and hear educational presentations that help us help our clients.

I believe that you can do this with your children, but you really need to have good childcare arrangements for the days you are with a woman during childbirth. You could bring your child on the prenatal and post partum visits you make.

Right now I only do birth doula work but I will also take on post partum work. Families need so much support and encouragement when a child is born and we don't have extended families around us anymore! That's where the post partum doula comes in. I believe that you can plan ahead better for childcare arrangements with post partum work.

I am also going to become a Birth Works educator. Again, this is great because you can teach in your home, even while the kids are upstairs running around. It can be worked out.

Here is a comparison chart of the major childbirth education organizations and many of them have doulas, too: http://www.naturalbeginnings.org/

Tammi L. McKinley, Provisional Birth Works Doula Natural Beginnings - Arlington, VA - 703.358.9435 http://www.naturalbeginnings.org/ Special Deliveries Newsletter: Click Here to Subscribe