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7 things you Should know about Menstruation and Why a Fertility Doula can Help!

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”491531″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1679506139819{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]A menstrual period is the monthly shedding of the uterine lining. Menstruation is also known by the terms menses, menstrual period, menstrual cycle or period. Menstruation is a normal and healthy part of life for most people with a uterus and no matter what you think you know about it age, hormones or even the weather can change how a person menstruates and how it feels ( A reason for why connecting with a Fertility Doula is a good idea!). Period facts are often obscured by myths about menstruation.  Most people with a uterus get their first period between the ages of 10 and 15 and continue to have their period until their late 40s or early 50s.

So let’s talk about some period facts:

  1. You loose less blood than you think you do: First off, you need to know that only approx. 50% of menstrual fluid is blood. ‘Menstrual fluid’ is not the same as ‘blood’, menstrual fluid also contains cervical mucous and vaginal secretions. On average a person loses anywhere between 1-6 tablespoons of menstrual fluid during each period. It can be thin or clumpy and varies in colour from dark red to brown or pink.
  2. It can take up to 3 years from the beginning of menstruation for your period to become regular: It’s common for cycles to be somewhat unpredictable for about two years after the first period. This means periods may not always come at the same time every cycle. Your periods may also look and feel somewhat different cycle-to-cycle. The first period may be quite short, with only a little bit of bleeding and the second period may be longer with more bleeding. After a couple of years, your cycles should become more regular, but may still continue to vary. Most cycles settle into a predictable rhythm about six years after menarche (the onset of your period).
  3. The average menstrual cycle is about 25- 30 days but not always: The average length of a menstrual cycle is 28 days. The days between periods is your menstrual cycle length. However, a cycle can range in length from 21 days to about 35 days and still be normal. Most people have their period (bleed) for between three and seven days. Once you reach your 20s, your cycles become more consistent and regular. Once your body begins transitioning to menopause, your periods will change again and become more irregular. From the time of your first cycle to menopause, the average menstruating person will have around 450 periods in their lifetime.  Added up, this equates to around 10 years — or about 3,500 days — of the average menstruating person ’s life that will be spent menstruating.
  4. Steps of your Cycle: The rise and fall of your hormones trigger the steps in your menstrual cycle. Your hormones cause the organs of your reproductive tract to respond in certain ways. The specific events that occur during your menstrual cycle are:
    1. The menses phase: This phase, which typically lasts from day one to day five, is the time when the lining of your uterus sheds through your vagina if pregnancy hasn’t occurred. Most people bleed for three to five days, but a period lasting only three days to as many as seven days is usually not a cause for worry.
    2. The follicular phase: This phase typically takes place from days six to 14. During this time, the level of the hormone estrogen rises, which causes the lining of your uterus (the endometrium) to grow and thicken. In addition, another hormone — follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) — causes follicles in your ovaries to grow. During days 10 to 14, one of the developing follicles will form a fully mature egg (ovum).
    3. Ovulation: This phase occurs roughly at about day 14 in a 28-day menstrual cycle. A sudden increase in another hormone — luteinizing hormone (LH) — causes your ovary to release its egg. This event is ovulation. However, some people do not ovulate or they ovulate at different times, more about this later.
    4. The luteal phase: This phase lasts from about day 15 to day 28. Your egg leaves your ovary and begins to travel through your fallopian tubes to your uterus. The level of the hormone progesterone rises to help prepare your uterine lining for pregnancy. If the egg becomes fertilized by sperm and attaches itself to your uterine wall (implantation), you become pregnant. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, estrogen and progesterone levels drop and the thick lining of your uterus sheds during your period.
  5.  Let’s talk about ovulation: Ovulation usually happens once each month, about two weeks before your next period. Ovulation can last from 16 to 32 hours. It is possible to get pregnant in the five days before ovulation and on the day of ovulation, but it’s more likely in the three days leading up to and including ovulation. Once the egg is released, it will survive up to 24 hours. If sperm reaches the egg during this time, you may get pregnant. Some people with a uterus do not ovulate regularly. This is common in the first two to three years after your periods start and during the lead-up to menopause. Some conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and amenorrhoea (when periods stop due to excessive exercise or eating disorders) may cause irregular ovulation. Individuals with certain hormone conditions do not ovulate at all. It is possible to ovulate and not have a period after. It is possible to get pregnant without having periods in several months, but the chance of pregnancy of much lower when you are not having periods, compared to when you have regular periods. It is also possible to experience monthly periods without going through ovulation first- this is considered abnormal and is the result of something called an “anovulatory cycle”.
  6. Your periods get worse when it is cold: This is definitely an amazing period fact: cold weather can impact your period, making it heavier and longer than normal. During the winter months, a menstruating person’s flow, period duration, and even pain level are longer than in the summer. This pattern also extends to women who live in colder climates rather than warmer temperatures. The seasons can also affect your PMT too — the darker, shorter days can adversely impact your mood when combined with female productive hormones. This is thought to be because of a lack of sunshine, which helps our bodies to produce vitamin D and dopamine — which both boost our moods, happiness, concentration and all-around health levels.
  7. Periods after Pregnancy: After birth, your periods will return at your body’s own pace. It’s possible for your periods to return as soon as 4 to 6 weeks after childbirth. If you bottle feed or partially bodyfeed your baby, you’ll tend to start having periods sooner than if you exclusively bodyfeed. If you choose to bodyfeed exclusively, your first period may not return for several months. For those who keep bodyfeeding, it might not return for 1 to 2 years. The range of “normal”, is enormous. Experiencing a menstrual period does not mean that your menstrual cycle has returned permanently and without an accurate clinical test, you won’t know whether or not you ovulated (released an egg and could potentially become pregnant). You are more likely to ovulate and resume regular periods if your baby is going for more than a few hours without breastfeeding (for instance, at night) and your baby is more than 6 months old. Many bodyfeeding parents experience a time of delayed fertility during breastfeeding. This is very common and is referred to in many places as the Lactation Amenorrhea Method (LAM) of contraception. However it is important to remember that you can get pregnant while nursing, even without a period.

These 7 facts are just the tip of the iceburg when it comes to understanding your body and menstruation. If you have questions, whether you are trying to get pregnant or not a Fertility Doula can help with that![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”491536″ img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”Download the infographic here” color=”turquoise” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fstefanie-techops.wisdmlabs.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F03%2F7-things-to-know-about-your-cycle-1.pdf|target:_blank”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Anti-racism work birth Canada community connection decolonization Equity Health Care intersectionality pregnancy Trauma understanding bias

Why Black Futures Begin with Birth

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Why Black Futures Begin with Birth

Written by Keira Grant  – DTC EDI Lead for Racialized Communities

February is widely known as Black History Month. This term has rubbed me the wrong way since I was a kid, but it took me a while to put my finger on why. The reference to “history” is full of loaded assumptions that are highly convenient to colorblind multiculturalism. It suggests that racism toward Black people is something that happened a long time ago, maybe in a faraway place. Then slavery ended and then there was Black excellence.

Of course, there have always been excellent Black people, but that’s not really how the story goes. The beliefs that made slavery possible for centuries are part of the fabric of society. Even when we are excellent by eurocentric, capitalistic standards, it could still go the way it went for Tyre Nichols.

The violence that brutally ended the life of Tyre and so many others like him flows through all social institutions, not just policing. In countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom where race-based health data is collected, these data show that Black birthers are anywhere from 3 to 4 times more likely to die in childbirth than their white counterparts. Our babies are also at a significantly increased risk of death. This holds true, independent of education and socioeconomic status. The birth stories of celebrities like Beyoncé Knowles, Serena Williams, and Tatiana Ali, (whose story we’ll be discussing at March’s Equity Watch Party), bring these statistics to life.

At this time, many players in the Canadian healthcare system are calling for the collection of disaggregated race-based data. In the US, the collection of these data, and the resultant evidence of disparities has led to increased funding for programs that improve Black maternal health, including a proliferation of programs for accessing a Black doula. It has also supported requirements that health professionals receive training in implicit bias.

It’s been widely reported in the news that Tyre Nichols called out for his mom during the brutal attack that ended his life. Every Black person who dies as a result of structural violence is someone’s baby. When systemic disrespect and harm toward Black birthers and babies is normalized, rationalized, and justified it is the start of a pattern that impacts Black people across the lifespan. Emerging research is actually demonstrating that racial stress accelerates the aging process of Black women.

Creating a circle of love and support around Black birthers and their babies that is honest about what we are up against, and that celebrates our lives and well-being can have a profound impact on how someone’s life starts. It can affect how their life continues by showing them and their families that it is possible to create spaces where Black people are affirmed and nourished.

We talk about equity, diversity, and inclusion in this work all the time. During February, we have additional opportunities for our members to learn and engage in dialog about anti-Black racism and racial health equity in perinatal care. We are using the language Black Futures Month, “a visionary, forward-looking spin on celebrations of Blackness in February”.

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birth Business Canada collaboration community Equity fertility Health Care Labour Doula LGBTQ2S+ Menopause pregnancy research sex

2023 Social Media Event Calendar

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Anti-racism work Canada collaboration community connection decolonization Equity indigenous doula MMIWG Uncategorised understanding bias

Doula Canada’s TRC Action Plan Draft

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Aaniin! Boozhoo!

As most of you know, the 30th of September each year is National Day of Truth and Reconciliation or Orange Shirt Day. The day is used every year to commemorate survivors of residential schools, as well as push for change in the form of allyship and reconciliation between settlers and Indigenous Peoples. But- reconciliation doesn’t begin and end on September 30th. It is something that is a continuous process, every day, for people inhabiting Turtle Island.

This month, Doula Canada is releasing our Truth and Reconciliation Action Plan Draft for students and alumni to check out! Based on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 94 Calls to Action, our reconciliation plan for 2023 reflects the goals outlined in the recommendations by the commission. You can see the action plan here below.

What does this mean? It means that these four recommendations are what we are working toward in 2023. As we continue our journeys as a vocational school, we will continue to evaluate how we can incorporate more of these goals into our curriculum, programming, and overall community at Doula Canada.

It doesn’t end here. We want to hear from you! An anonymous feedback form for both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous members is available using This Link. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSczDwoD1ZmkYI501_8Xv8JaeOkhkEEsQq_rM4K_AywfuUu8Jg/viewform?usp=sf_link)

There will also be a two-hour Indigenous-specific focus group in November led by Inclusion and Engagement Lead for Indigenous Peoples, Kayt Ward. Honorariums will be provided to participants. Please stay tuned for dates and times or email Kayt at kayt@doulatraining.ca if you’re interested in participating.

 

September 30th- How are you reflecting? Staff at Doula Canada will be participating in various learning experiences throughout the day, and we recommend students do the same. Don’t know where to start? Follow our social media to register for events we will be promoting by external organizations, come to one of the following events, or try a journal prompt.

  • Indigenous members pop up Bannock and Tea circle. Topic: Peer Support and Grief. September 30th, from 6-7 pm EST on Zoom.
  • “We Were Children” Film Night and Settler Learning Circle. September 30th from 7-8 pm EST on Zoom.

Journal Prompts:

What can we do as educators and birth workers to decolonize and deconstruct power systems in Canada? How can we dismantle oppression, and create a safe and equitable space for all?

What is my relationship with the land I reside on. Whose land am I standing on?

How can I participate in decolonization and the Landback movement?

How does settler-colonialism impact my life?

Chi Miigwetch,
Kayt Ward, Inclusion and Engagement Lead for Indigenous Peoples[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”461820″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”461821″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”461822″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”461823″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Anti-racism work birth Business Canada Childbirth Educator collaboration community connection Equity fear intersectionality Postpartum Doula pregnancy reducing stigma research shame Trauma understanding bias vulnerabiliity

Recognizing Asian Heritage Month and Jewish Heritage Month

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1653215730289{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]May is Asian Heritage Month and Jewish Heritage Month. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on what we mean by “heritage” regarding the history of these two communities in “multicultural” Canada, and what this means for creating cultural safety in birth work.

I’ve lived in the GTA my whole life. Here, a “heritage festival” typically amounts to a street party with food, live music and dance, and other culture-specific entertainment. I am actually a great lover of a good street fair. The food and performances are usually lit. I have also learned a lot about Jewish and Asian history and culture at events like the Ashkenaz Music Festival and Taste of Asia. I also understand that many communities are not fortunate enough to have this level of exposure to culture and diversity. But these cultural displays are not only far from telling the whole story of the “heritage” of Asian and Jewish people in Canada, but they also contribute to “false peace” – the illusion that multiculturalism is working out, that we are all getting along, and that we are all equal.

In truth, there is anti-Asian racism and anti-Semitism at the core of Canada’s heritage. Those of us who remember “Heritage Minutes” from the 1980s and 90s may know about the lethal exploitation of Chinese migrant workers that occurred in the 19th century to support the construction of the trans-Canada railroad. There are many other examples, including the head tax, and internment camps during WWII. 

Anti-Semitism is equally a part of the fabric of Canada’s history. Wide-spread belief in a Jewish conspiracy to achieve global economic domination that originated in Europe and spread to North America made Jewish Canadians an easy scapegoat during the great depression. Additionally, to limit the economic advancement of Jewish immigrants in the early 20th century, Canadian universities implemented quotas that restricted the number of Jewish applicants who could be admitted to the school.

It’s easy to hear these stories and think “this has nothing to do with me”, “this is ancient history”, “I didn’t do these things”, and “let’s focus on the positive and how far we’ve come”. While these sentiments are understandable, the reality is that the present arises from the past. These uglier parts of our heritage are directly related to more recent attacks on synagogues and the hate crimes experienced by Asian Canadians during the pandemic. 

Moreover, this heritage underpins the modern assumptions that manifest more subtly as microaggressions that affect the day-to-day navigation of society and impact the long-term mental and physical health of equity-seeking people. Some of these stereotypes may seem harmless or even positive. But in reality, they fuel the construction of whiteness as the social norm, put people in boxes, and create false impressions regarding people’s realities.

As birth workers, we can create cultural safety regarding the beautiful and the traumatic aspects of each client’s heritage. We can create space for them to share whether they have any cultural or religious traditions that they would like to honour. And we can also be mindful of things like how common stereotypes about Asian women may influence provider perceptions of client autonomy. Or how the intergenerational trauma of Holocaust survivors may impact pain management. There are a number of ways that our identities can impact our pregnancy and parenting journey. Shining a light on the good, the bad, and the ugly of our heritage sets us up to ask the right questions and facilitate the needed conversations with all of our clients.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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birth Canada Equity fertility pregnancy shame vulnerabiliity

Fat.

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Fat.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1644624846918{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Read the word.  Read it once, twice, and then again.

How does reading the word make you feel?  How about saying it aloud? 

Most of us have learned to treat fat as a bad word and, beyond that, a bad thing to be.  We hear this from our friends and our peers, our families, our communities, the media we consume, and the healthcare systems we turn to when we’re unwell.  Fat is the punch line of countless jokes, the subject of over 40% of New Year’s resolutions[i], and the fuel of a weight loss industry worth $332.8 million in Canada alone[ii].

Fat people are scrutinized everywhere—in clothing stores that stop at size 14, on airplanes with too small seats, in conversations with relatives that always begin and end with comments on our size.  More than anywhere else, you can find this scrutiny in healthcare.  “Obesity” is listed as a risk factor for almost everything.  Any fat person who has been to a doctor’s office can tell you this. Depressed? Lose weight. Ear infection? Lose weight. Infertility? Lose weight.

When somebody is pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or even just a person between 20-40 with a uterus, their body is monitored in a whole new way.  They might be told that their weight will stop them from getting pregnant, that it will cause them to miscarry, that gestational diabetes will be inevitable, that they will need to be induced early, that their baby will be big, and on, and on, and on.

While any of these things might happen to a fat person, they won’t happen because the person is fat. Intentional weight loss is not a magical cure.  In fact, dieting could even lead to further issues with conception or pregnancy, where a nutrient-rich diet is important and weight gain is linked to the healthy development of the placenta, fetus, and pregnant person.

Over the past several years, there has been a shift in popular culture towards body positivity. Championed by celebrities and social media influencers, body positivity tells us to embrace and love our bodies (and other people’s bodies) as they are.  If this seems like a stretch goal, then we can be body neutral, accepting our body (and other people’s bodies) as they are, as the tools we use to engage with and experience the world.  These approaches can feel revolutionary when we’re used to hating our bodies and can absolutely improve our relationships with ourselves, but they aren’t enough.

Sofie Hagan, author of Happy Fat, explains, “I am not a body positivity campaigner, I am a fat liberationist. I do not care if you love your body or not, I care about abolishing the systemic discrimination and abuse that fat people endure on a daily basis.  Body positivity is fine, but it doesn’t at all fix the problem.” (Twitter, October 25, 2021).

The problems that Hagan is talking about are systemic fatphobia and sizeism. 

Fatphobia tells us that fat bodies are undesirable, unhealthy, and repulsive.  It includes fat jokes in the schoolyard and your grandmother telling you how much weight you’ve gained, but also means that fat people are less likely to be hired, less likely to be seen as attractive, less likely to be taken seriously by their medical providers.  It doesn’t just make people feel bad, it can be a matter of life or death: when Ellen Maud Bennett died of terminal cancer in 2018, her obituary named fatphobia as the cause, explaining, “Over the past few years of feeling unwell she sought out medical intervention and no one offered any support or suggestions beyond weight loss.”[iii]

Sizeism privileges smaller bodies over larger ones.  Not just through beauty ideals but through the systems and structures that we interact with every day.  This can include everything from insurance policies that have a body mass index (BMI) cutoff to hospital gowns and beds that don’t fit larger bodies.

To confront fatphobia and sizeism we don’t just need increased confidence in our own bodies, we need a different approach to size and weight.

The health at every size (HAES) movement is pushing medical providers to recognize that people can be healthy at every size, that fat shouldn’t be treated as an illness, that weight loss shouldn’t be treated as a cure, and that there needs to be (literal and metaphorical) room for fat people in our healthcare system.  It’s an important movement, but still prioritizes health. Fat people can be healthy or unhealthy, thin people can be too. All of us, regardless of size, will experience variations in our health throughout our lives.  We don’t owe anybody good health, and we don’t need to be healthy to deserve respect.

We need fat positivity: a mental and systemic shift that includes and embraces fat bodies, regardless of health. [/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”white”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1644624383626{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]So, as a doula, how can you provide fat positive support?[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1644624485528{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]1. Don’t ask about or comment on your client’s weight.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1645143545782{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]2. If your client asks about how being fat will impact them during conception, pregnancy, or birth, share evidence-based information and resources that are size inclusive.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1644624540161{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]3.Support your client through their healthcare experiences.  If your client is worried about weight checks, let them know that they have a right to refuse or to ask why they are being weighed.  If they are worried about whether a hospital or birth centre will accommodate them (from weight limits on hospital beds to BMI limits on epidurals), contact the birth location to find out.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1644624580474{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]4. Provide emotional support, recognizing the trauma that many fat people have experienced in healthcare.  Your client might feel anxious, avoidant, or upset when having to interact with healthcare providers or entering doctors’ offices or hospitals.  Validate these feelings.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1644624610152{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]5. Recognize that everything from common birth support positions to equipment like birth balls or birthing pools haven’t been made with fat people in mind.  Consider in advance how to adapt your support to include fat bodies.  If your client is comfortable, this can include practicing support positions to see how they feel for you and your client, as well as any other support people involved.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1644624639055{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]6. Examine your own biases.  We grow up in a fatphobic and sizeist world, and internalize these beliefs from a very young age. Ask yourself what you think and feel about fat bodies, then ask yourself why.  This is hard, ongoing, and crucial work.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”white”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1645287465765{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Fat people deserve to have our pregnancies and births treated with respect and care. We deserve health systems that see us as whole people and not as problems. We deserve to have our strength and capacity recognized.  We deserve partners, healthcare providers, and doulas who support, affirm, and hold us as we are.

Interested in learning more?  Sign up for Doula Canada’s webinar on Addressing Sizeism and Fatphobia in Birth Work, happening on February 27th from 12:30pm-1:30pm EST.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”white”][vc_btn title=”Click here to register for our FAT: ADDRESSING SIZEISM AND FATPHOBIA IN BIRTHWORK webinar” color=”mulled-wine” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fstefanie-techops.wisdmlabs.net%2Ftraining%2Ffat-addressing-sizeism-and-fatphobia-in-birthwork%2F|||”][vc_separator color=”white”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1645287477111{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][i] https://today.yougov.com/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2020/01/03/canada-new-year-resolutions

[ii] https://www.ibisworld.com/canada/market-research-reports/weight-loss-services-industry

[iii] https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/timescolonist/name/ellen-bennett-obituary[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Anti-racism work Canada community connection decolonization Equity indigenous doula intersectionality MMIWG national indigenous peoples day Trauma understanding bias

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1632997516706{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]September 30th is now National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. So what does this mean? How does it relate to doula care and birth work?

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation comes after decades of emotional labour and advocacy from Indigenous communities, as well as a year of grieving Indigenous children and investigating the tragedies of the residential school system. Not only did Indigenous families experience the horrors of this system, but many others as well, such as the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), the 60’s scoop, and current extraction of environmental resources.

This is not history. This is happening now. Something needs to change.

Why are we asking members to reflect today? Besides being citizens on Indigenous lands, birth and postpartum workers interact directly with Indigenous families, and play an integral role in mitigating systemic oppression and intergenerational trauma.

For example:

  • Providing culturally sensitive care and awareness when working with Indigenous families
  • Providing trauma-informed care for those impacted by violence and adult child survivors of the child protection system
  • Creating space for cultural birthing practices
  • Advocating against racialized medical violence

Getting comfortable with truth and reconciliation requires a lot of discomfort. This is okay. It is only when we face our shortcomings head on that we can progress toward change. We welcome you to reflect on some questions today.

Reflection Questions for Doulas:

  • How have I benefited from capitalism, colonialism, and extraction of resources?
  • How have I upheld colonial norms that can potentially cause harm?
  • What did I learn growing up about the history of Canada and Indigenous Peoples?

When we can acknowledge we are a product of wider system indoctrinations like white supremacy, colonialism, etc. we can separate our character from the issues at hand. Good people can do harm. Good people are capable of racism, classism, and perpetuating colonial norms. Shame restricts us from moving forward.

In an effort to show this to you, here is mine. As an Indigenous person, I am still capable of perpetrating colonial harm.

  1. I benefited from colonial post-secondary institutions and obtaining a western education
  2. I have upheld colonial norms in the social work field as a mandated reporter
  3. I learned in elementary school that Canada obtained the land fairly and through agreement with Indigenous Peoples. Since then, I have done a degree in Indigenous Studies and learned about the tragedies of colonialism.

Don’t know where to start? Dr. Lynne Davis of Trent University and her class “Transforming Settler Relations” have compiled a database of Canadian initiatives that support allyship, education, and decolonization. Find an initiative here: https://transformingrelations.wordpress.com/

You can take action today by signing up for our trauma series this fall. The workshop “Intergenerational Trauma: The Doula Connection” on October 28 from 7-8:30pm EST will focus primarily on working with Indigenous families impacted by trauma and systemic oppression. All proceeds will go to The Indigenous Foundation.

To any Indigenous and non-Indigenous doulas who have questions, need support, or would like to chat about truth and reconciliation, please contact Kayt at kayt@doulatraining.ca

Miigwetch,
Kayt Ward (She/Her)
Indigenous Inclusion and Engagement Lead, BSW[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Categories
Anti-racism work Canada community decolonization Equity indigenous doula Trauma Uncategorised

215.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1622592235107{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]We acknowledge and honour the 215 children whose unmarked graves were found at Kamloops Indian Residential School last week. Their deaths, as well as their short lives as residential school victims, are acts of terrible violence.

These 215 children represent only a small fraction of those who have lost their language, culture, families, and lives to the residential school system in Canada and the residential school system is only one element of ongoing colonialism and cultural genocide in Canada.

As birth workers, and as Doula Canada, it is our responsibility to name and resist the ways in which colonialism and cultural genocide show up in our work: in the practice of birth alerts; in the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in child welfare systems; in the erasure, dismissal, and coopting of Indigenous birth practices; in the systemic oppression present in healthcare settings; in the ongoing violence perpetuated against Indigenous children and families; in intergenerational trauma that this has caused. As Doula Canada, we are holding ourselves accountable for how these show up in our curriculum, teaching, and engagement with members. This work is imperfect, ongoing, and necessary.

We send our love and rage to our Indigenous members, colleagues, friends, clients, and families. We are so very sorry for your children.

[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”white”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1622592102485{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Resources:

Indian Residential School Survivors Society: https://www.irsss.ca/

Plain Talk Residential Schools Guide, Assembly of First Nations: https://education.afn.ca/afntoolkit/learning-module/residential-schools/

Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc (Kamloops Indian Band) Office of the Chief May 27, 2021 Press Release: https://tkemlups.ca/wp-content/uploads/05-May-27-2021-TteS-MEDIA-RELEASE.pdf

Truth and Reconciliation Commission Findings and Calls to Action: http://www.trc.ca/about-us/trc-findings.html

Truth and Reconciliation Commission Missing Children Project: http://www.trc.ca/events-and-projects/missing-children-project.html

Canada’s Residential Schools: Missing Children and Unmarked Burials: The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Volume 4 (available for purchase in English and French):

https://www.mqup.ca/canada—s-residential-schools–missing-children-and-unmarked-burials-products-9780773546578.php

https://www.mqup.ca/pensionnats-du-canada—enfants-disparus-et-lieux-de-s–pulture-non-marqu–s-products-9780773546677.php?page_id=118863&

CBC Docs: My auntie survived residential school. I need to gather her stories before she’s gone.:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToUVHjr1xK0

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line:

1-866-925-4419

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_button corner_style=”full_rounded” size=”x-large” url=”https://bhn.cmha.ca/national-indian-residential-school-crisis-line/?mc_cid=01ee69929e&mc_eid=810fcff83c” align=”center” fullwidth=”true”]National Indian Residential School Crisis Line[/mk_button][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Categories
About Us birth Business Canada Members Uncategorised

Getting to know our Members: 6 Questions

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1590763418165{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Meet Sarah Alicia Elder. Owner of ElderFlower Doula Serving families in New Westminster B.C Canada, This mother of three, can’t stay still and her love for learning has opened up many different career paths. Her sense of community has led her to different fields within human services. Now, Sarah is putting it all together to help families in New Westminster. She is a full-service doula-in-training offering support and resources for pre-pregnancy to post-partum and everything in-between.

We had a chat with Sarah Alicia about what brought her to this work and got to know her a little better!

Why did you decide to become a Birth Professional ?

I have always been drawn to working with babies and young children. When I was in high school, I wanted to become a midwife but never felt like I could do the education. I didn’t learn about doula work until I was pregnant with my first and had a friend’s sister offer doula services. I did some research and after having my second baby, I noticed that for much of the birthing experience, a doula is very much needed. I liked my nurses but having someone helping me or just keeping space for me before going to the hospital as well as having a familiar face throughout the experience would have been a blessing. After talking with other mothers, I realized so many of us do not have extra help and/or have partners who are unsure how to help. Doulas make sure all the questions running around in our head are answered. 

What is the most surprising thing you have learned so far as a birth worker/ educator?

The most surprising thing I have learned is that doulas play such an important role and complement other birth workers. Doulas, however, I feel are often forgotten. I still have people ask me what a doula is when I tell others what I do for work. After explaining the role I play during pregnancy, labour and birth, many say they wished they had a doula working with them at their own births. More people are choosing to have a doula present for many different reasons; not having a reliable person to help, choosing to give birth as a single parent, and birthing at home are just a few. Slowly, as more and more companies see the value of doula support and realize that not every family is in a financial situation to afford doula services, extended medical plans are starting to cover the costs of doula support. Studies show that continuous support from a doula lowers intervention rates, including cesarean. As a society, it is imperative that we demand better support to drive change. Nothing happens if we don’t ask!

Why did you choose Doula Canada?

I chose Doula Canada mainly because it is Canadian and has an online option. Having very young children and being a stay-at-home mom makes going to an in-person class a lot harder. The flexibility of making my own learning schedule was a must. I also love that the organization has international ties and offer so many different classes to help me further my career. The instructors and directors care about their work and are so hands-on. I don’t feel like just a number but as an important part of the doula community.

 

Interesting Fact about yourself ( hobby, quirk)

As well as being a doula, I am a certified cosmetologist and sewer. I love making and creating new outfits by using old clothing from when I was little. 

 

If you could give advice to someone just starting out what would you say..

The advice I would love to give to someone just starting out is to be true to yourself. Take your special skills and incorporate them into your doula work. For me, using my background as a cosmetologist and my love for being hands-on and creative, I offer self-care and keepsake art projects to my clients. The things I learned in previous jobs have helped make my doula business unique to me! [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1590764107834{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]   You can learn more about Sarah Alicia here

Website: https://elderflowerdoula.wordpress.com/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/elderflowerdoula/[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Categories
Canada Labour Doula Mentorship Postpartum Doula Uncategorised

10 Tips for Winter Doula Life in Canada

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Winter is fast approaching, and for some of us we couldn’t be happier. However, if you’re like me, it’s a less than exciting time. Here in Newfoundland, winter lasts about half the year, so we need to put in some extra effort to try to enjoy this tidbit nipply season. As a Canadian doula, we have the extra challenge of navigating birth work through this unpredictable time of year. Here are my suggestions to help you get through these cold months:

[/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1572904448393{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Number 1:
Have good winter tires – we can be called to a birth or scheduled for a postpartum shift anytime, so it’s important to be confident on the road. If you’re able to reschedule your shifts if the weather is bad, all the better, but even on a nice day you might be facing some less than optimal road conditions. Personally, I hate spending money on my car, but good tires are an investment in my safety and the safety of everyone else on the road too, and a bit of piece of mind.

Number 2:
Make sure your childcare will still stand if there’s a snow day at school or if the road conditions are really bad – will your sitter or family still be able to get to you or take your child if there is no school? Make sure you have backup for your back up if circumstances change.

Number 3:
Have an emergency pack ready in your car – are you prepared if you get stuck somewhere and can’t get home? Have some extra toiletries and clothes packed incase you need to stay with friends or sleep in the waiting room of the hospital before you get home. I know at the end of a long birth or shift it can be very tempting to just push through and try to get home, but sometimes its better to stay where you are until the roads clear up. Have things packed so you’re ready if you need to wait to get home.

Number 4:
Get outside as much as possible – it can be very tempting to ignore the existence of snow and slush and cold. But for our mental health, it important for us to get for fresh air and some vitamin D. You can try snowshoeing or skiing. Or maybe it just a matter of standing outside your door for a couple seconds in the mornings to start your day.

Number 5:
Pack layers in your go bag – the temperature of a hospital room or someone else’s house in unpredictable at the best of times, but especially during the winter. Pack lots of layers so that you can stay comfortable and your clients don’t need to accommodate you.

Number 6:
Give yourself lots of time for travel – maybe you need to adjust your contract to allow for extra travel time during the winter months. If you live close to the hospital, or if your catchment area for your clients is pretty small, it might not make a difference to your travel time, but make sure you either leave earlier than you usually would or make sure clients know you might take a bit longer, weather depending.

Number 7:
Have some soul warming self care practices – birth work is hard work, both physically and mentally, and self care may look different during the winter months. Make sure you have some ways to fill your cup and keep your heart warm. Maybe you like having a hot bath, or enjoying a cup of tea or really good coffee or stretching your body and mind with a regular yoga practice. Take care or yourself so you can better take care of your clients and your family.

Number 8:
Stay active – We need to take care of our bodies so that we don’t risk injury when we are working with families, be it at a birth or during postpartum shifts. It’s easy to increase how much time we spend sitting when its not so nice out, so make sure you’re doing things to keep your body moving. Yoga, swimming, snowshoeing, skiing, walking on an indoor track, stacking wood are all great ways to keep your body active when its tempting to just stay inside and cozy under a blanket for the next 6 months.

Number 9:
Eat as healthy as possible – fresh fruit and veggies are hard to come by in the middle of winter. To care for our bodies, we must also be conscious of our nutrition. I’m guilty of becoming lazy when it comes to cooking healthy meals. Frozen fruit and veggies are a great way to keep the good food coming without spending a fortune to buy out of season produce. Maybe make some granola bars or trail mix to bring with you to births and shifts so that you’re not tempted to buy junk to keep your body full of fuel.

Number 10:
Learn to embrace it a little – it took me a long time, but eventually I came to the realization that I don’t want to be miserable for half of my life, so I figured out how to, not love, but embrace winter a little bit more. Whether it’s at home, at work or in your social life, do something that helps you to enjoy this colder season.[/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1572904478048{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

We live in a very large and diverse country, even when it comes to the weather. No matter where you find yourselves this winter, I’m sending lots of love and wishes of warmth for you all. Stay safe out there Doula Canada!

[/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”1855″ img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1572904706244{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]About the author:

Samantha Whitman is a certified Labour and Birth Doula with Doula Training Canada, and the current Provincial Liaison for the province of Newfoundland and territory of Labrador.

Samantha has a history of being dedicated to supporting the families of her community, previously as a paramedic and now as a doula.

She lives in the central area of Newfoundland with her husband and son and enjoys getting outside, hiking, and exploring with her family.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]