Doula School Canada

Tag: childbirth

  • Finding your path through passion…meet Jennifer

    Finding your path through passion…meet Jennifer

     

    Meet Jennifer.
    Her passion for birth began at 12.
    However her practical thinking got in the way. She quickly learned that for her, believing in herself and what she did for work was vital. Now she owns 2 small businesses and is rocking the birth world in Labrador City and Wabush, Newfoundland.

    Picture

    image credit:Jenna Mouland Photography

    ​Why am I a doula? And why should you care? To explain my journey I will need to go WAY back to the beginning… well, to when I was 12 years old (THAT beginning is a story only my mom can tell!). At the ripe old age of 12 my passion for birth began. 12?!?!? You might say, in varying degrees of alarm! But don’t worry, it wasn’t as bad as it seems. I knew I wanted to work with babies, and moms went to the hospital to have their babies (something I would later learn is not always the case), so I put two and two together and got nurse.

    But you’re not a nurse, you’re a doula…. I know! I know! Let me continue.

    As a child and even into my early adulthood I had never heard of a doula. You see, I live in an isolated community where we have been known to be sheltered from the “real world”. A Birth Doula is a relatively new concept to my hometown, and some other birth related professions (such as midwives) do not practice here at all. So, in my tiny twelve year old mind that left nurses and doctors.
    This all boiled down to my very narrow minded, 12 year old thoughts… a young girl who loved children, knew nothing about birth (except that it happened)  and therefore decided to become a nurse.

    ​ Fast forward about a decade and where was I? Not a nurse! Somewhere along the way I realized that nurses have to do A LOT of work. HARD WORK. This is not to say that I, or any other individuals who are not nurses don’t work hard. It just means that I realized a nurse gets stuck with all of the difficult jobs, long hours, and often underappreciated work. Nurses are AMAZING, but I didn’t want to be one.

    I wanted babies! All of the babies! I wanted to help families on their journey into parenthood and show them that it will be ok! That they can do this and they will rock it! ALL of it: pregnancy, birth and parenthood.

    ​Unfortunately, by this time I had realized that I was a “grown up” and needed to get a job. I wanted to work with babies, but I didn’t want all of the other responsibilities that came with being a nurse. So where did that leave me? Studying to be a Pharmacy Technician at Niagara College in Welland, Ontario. I know! I know! But that is a “real job”. A job I had to go to school for and it didn’t involve babies?!?! What was I thinking?

    ​In hindsight, I didn’t know at the time what I know now. I just knew that a person has to live and to live a person has to work. So, I studied hard, graduated and then worked in my field for about a year until…. my nervous breakdown… Yeah, I am THAT guy. The one who fell apart within a year of becoming an independent adult. In all fairness though, I had suffered with anxiety for the majority of my life and I was still only newly learning to cope with all of the changes that come with growing up.
    Luckily for me I have an INCREDIBLE support system. Everyone was so understanding and they all seemed to know what to do to help me get through the worst of it. Believe me, I know how genuinely blessed that makes me!

    During that time, my boyfriend (now husband)  and I agreed that it would not be in my best interest to return to work right away. So here I was; an emotional disaster who was jobless with no clear view of her future. I felt like I was at the bottom of a very dark pit and my shovel was only helping to tear more dirt out from under my feet.

    And then it happened. IT! The moment I was waiting for my entire life. At 24 years old I heard the word doula for the first time. Not only to I HEAR it, but an instructor was coming to town to train a group of women how to become one! That’s right! You did hear me correctly! I know it is a lot to take in and let me tell you, I couldn’t believe it myself!

    Within a matter of 3 months I went from not knowing what a doula was to beginning my certification process to become one through Doula Training Canada. Have you ever had that moment? The one where you knew this is what you were meant to do and these are the people you are meant to do it with?! Then you know exactly how I felt! If not, keep searching because I know it is out there for you <3

    Every part of my being knew instantly that this is what I was my calling. Was it going to be easy? Nothing worth having ever is. But I didn’t care. I wanted it, and I was going to have it. I was finally going to have ALL of the babies!
    ​
    So here we are. Two year later and I am a certified Birth Doula, a certifying Childbirth Educator and a certifying Postpartum Doula with a never ending list of dreams and educational opportunities. I get to wake up every morning doing what I love (I KNOW RIGHT?!?!) and I have been able to meet so many incredible individuals along the way.

    So?!?! What is a Birth Doula?

    A Birth Doula is an individual who is trained in emotional, informational and physical support for expectant families during pregnancy, labour, birth and the early postpartum period. I am NOT a medical professional! You’re nurses and doctor(s) are amazing at this and they do not need me! I am there for YOU. To help YOU figure out what you want from your birth. To help YOU focus, relax and breathe through your labour. To help your partner or support person help YOU.
    This means:
    ​

    • Shorter Labours
    • Reduced need for pain medication
    • Decreased chance of a caesarean birth
    • Increased breastfeeding rate
    • And more!

    Doesn’t that sound AMAZING?!?

     Jennifer Byrne Labour and Birth and Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator,
    Bellies Birth and Beyond www. belliesbirthandbeyond.ca
    https://www.facebook.com/Bellies-Birth-Beyond-401777609981909/
  • Doula Little Dance…​ENCOURAGING COMFORT THROUGH MOVEMENT

    Doula Little Dance…​ENCOURAGING COMFORT THROUGH MOVEMENT

    Shaunacy King, BD, CBE & Director for Doula Training Canada

     

    One of the my earliest Doula memories is from taking the Dancing for Birth program with the fantabulous Stephanie Larson.  In her program she discussed how elephant mothers do not lie on their back, with their feet in the air, awaiting the birth of their elebabies.

    Over time I have taken this image with me and used to ask…

    Have you ever seen a dog in labour, lying on its back with its legs straight up in the air?  No!  How about a cat?  A horse? A cow? Ok, ok…. how about any mammal?

    The answer is a definitive NO WAY!

    What is with the history and expectation that human women should labour and birth while lying down?  Blasphemy I say!

    Nature dictates that it is most comfortable for animals (including human animals) to labour standing up, so that gravity and motion can work to facilitate progression and comfort.

    Comfort?!  How is that possible you might ask.  Well, there is comfort in knowing that you are in control of your body.  That if you use motion and gravity to open the hips and bring the baby down that this experience (ahem, the fun of labour) could be over more quickly.

    Paulina Perez in “The Nurturing Touch at Birth” states it perfectly when she write “changing positions frequently is a very important labour support technique.  Changing positions frequently and using positions such as standing, walking, and hands-and-knees stimulates the joint receptors, which are large receptors that adapt slowly but are also slow to habituate.  Usually the mother changes positions spontaneously,”  (pg. 100).  In other words…. SCIENCE tells us that moving around isn’t just a comfort technique, but that it is necessary.

    Encourage your clients to get their birth bottoms shaking, moving and grooving.  And if none of those ideas seem to resonate here are some other suggestions:

    Walking
    Standing
    Stair climbing
    Sitting
    Leaning
    Side-lying
    Squatting
    Hands and knees

  • To Certify or not to Certify? That is the Question.

    To Certify or not to Certify? That is the Question.

     

     Guest author: Sondra Marcon.  DTC alumni and instructor. Doula with Sisterhood Wellness Collective in Toronto, ON, Canada.

    So, you have taken Doula Training Canada’s workshop.

    You love birth or the postpartum period (come on!  Who doesn’t love bellies and babies?!).  You love client-centered care, supporting the birthing person physically and emotionally, and helping them voice their needs to their care providers is your jam.

    ​You are engaged and excited.

    Then as often happens on route to certification. Life gets in the way.  You stop reading, you can’t seem to find the time to finish the paperwork or take that final course. Maybe you start to doubt yourself and your ability to do this work. Completion of your requirements for certification gets farther and farther away. You begin to wonder if certification is even worth it?

    ​You can do the work of a doula without being attached to an organization or bound by their scope of practice. Currently in Canada, there is no registering body that you need to be a part of to actively work as a Labour or Postpartum doula.

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    So why Certify?

    Completing the training workshop is exciting, but let’s get real, it is only part of the process.

    • It expands your knowledge base. By completing the requirements you learn more, and are challenged to think critically about the material you are accessing.

    Let’s face it. You can only cover so much about labour, birth and postpartum in a 2 day workshop.

    • You are encouraged to continue learning. Knowledge and information about birth and postpartum is constantly evolving. Continued learning is vital, however it is also easy to become complacent in what we know if we are not reminded to keep growing.
    • Eventually, likely sooner than later, Doulas will be forced into regulation in Canada. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it will make doula care more accessible to all. However, this does mean that if you are not certified, it will be illegal to practice and you will not be able to get insurance to cover your liabilities.
    • Having that piece of paper to frame and put on your wall is cool. It is a reminder to yourself of all you have accomplished. It is also peace of mind for your clients.
    • Scope of practice = boundaries. They are important. They keep us all safe
    • It is a ready-made tribe. Here at Doula Training Canada our certifying students have access to a wonderful community online, that shares information, supports one another, and generally just rocks. If you choose not to complete your certification you lose access to this community.
    • Mentorship; The Instructors and certified doulas in the Doula Training Canada community are amazing. Reach out. Ask questions. Ask for support.
    ​I have to admit I am biased. I love the Doula Training Canada Community. I never want to leave it behind.  I will however, confess it took me longer to certify then I would have liked. Life got in the way. However here I am saying, just do it. Find a way. It is totally worth it.

  • An Open Letter to the Canadian Minister of Health

    Good afternoon Honourable Jane Philpott, MP, Minister of Health,

    I am contacting you about fully recognizing Labour and Birth Doulas as a therapeutic and provincially covered profession across Canada.

    The World Health Organization recently reported that the support of Doulas through Labour and Birth is best practice and that Doulas should become covered by our government.

    Specific to that report dated March 23, 2016:
    “All hospitals should implement programmes that offer continuous support to women during labour. The presence of a companion of the woman’s own choice should be permitted and encouraged. An alternative to this may be to integrate “doulas” in maternity wards for the provision of continuous support to women during labour. Doulas are lay women who have received special training to provide non-medical support to women and families during labour, childbirth and the postpartum period (7, 9). Policy-makers and administrators should recognize that the best outcomes are achieved when continuous labour support is provided by non-staff providers, especially doulas. This is particularly important where policy-makers wish to reduce high caesarean rates in their hospitals or country.

    The costs of doula services, where available, are usually passed on to the mother’s family. These costs could be a barrier to the provision of continuous support. Considering all the advantages and possible lower costs to the health system associated with the presence of a doula (less likelihood of cesareans sections and analgesia use), covering the cost of doula services should be considered by policy-makers. Programmes for training and accreditation of doulas should be available in all regions of the country. Courses and programmes can be offered by public hospitals and primary health services for training community doulas.”

    For the full study please click here:
    (http://apps.who.int/…/routine_care/cd0003766_amorimm_com/en/)

    As the Director and Program Coordinator for one of Canada’s Doula certification programs I see this as a great opportunity to work together. I would like to speak to someone about how we can implement Doula training and programs into current birth practice across the country.

    I look forward to hearing from you.

    Mrs. Shaunacy King, BD, CBE
    ​
    Director & Program Coordinator
    Doula Training Canada

  • 3 Damn Good Reasons for Childbirth Education courses

    3 Damn Good Reasons for Childbirth Education courses

     

    We live in an information age.  At the tip of your fingertips is all of the world’s information.  How crazy is that?!  Want to know how to fix your car engine?  Google!  Curious about what happened in 1215 B.C?  Let’s type it in!  Looking for a delicious gluten, dairy, sugar, GMO, organic recipe?  Yup, you’ll find it – and what time is dinner?!

    To the newly expecting parent (congrats!) the plethora of online articles, blogs, Q & A’s and parenting forums can be slightly intimidating and like, whoa, overwhelming.  A simple online search about “strollers” can leave you confused for weeks… no, wait, make that months!

    FACT:  it took my husband and I five months to decide on our stroller.  It took us three days to buy our first home!

    Finding a clear, non-confuted explanation about what you could expect in your upcoming labour experience (and the multiple years of parenting!) can be, excuse my parlez français, fucking impossible.

    So here are 3 damn good reasons to take a prenatal course in your community:

    Reason #1: Down to the Nitty-Gritty

    At the end of the day there are two things most expecting women want answered:

    (A)  How will I know when I’m in labour?

    AND

    (B) How the hell am I going to get through it?

    Prenatal instructors answer this.  Easily.  Without agenda or obtusity.

    Imagine a prenatal world where you get an answer like this:  “Here is a cervix.  This is how it works.  This is what you and your baby need to get this shit done.  Congratulations and best wishes!”

    Prenatal courses and strong instructors cut through the crap and give you facts.  Evidence.  Amazing!

    Reason #2:  The Good Stuff
    People who teach private prenatal courses tend to attack their profession with an amorous rage!   We are birth junkies.  Labour geeks.  And as a result, research addicts.

    When we teach a course to the newly expecting we want to make sure that our programs are solid and that our students are…. oh man…imagine this… HAPPY!

    By researching and sharing THE BEST information available, online and otherwise, your prenatal instructor hopes that the small time they have spent with you has a positive affect on your labour and parenting experience.  Say what?!

    Of course there are no guarantees, but our intentions are altruistic.  Pinky swear!

    Reason #3:  Wait for it…. You’re not the Only One
    Expecting a baby can feel isolating.  Online resources write of the amazing journey and beauty one should feel towards growing a baby.  Um, duh.

    Yet the simultaneous images of something the size of an avocado (wait for the pumpkin!) growing inside of you can sometimes be enough to open the Hoover Dam of hormonal tears.  “It has to come out somehow!”  Pass the Kleenex.  And damn you sappy Canadian Tire commercials!

    Attending a prenatal class and sitting with others who are also feeling the highs and lows of becoming parents can be incredibly therapeutic and wonderfully relieving.

    If you want to do yourself a HUGE favour for your upcoming labour and parenting experience then research prenatal course options available in your community.  Find one that fits your schedule, birth philosophy, and personality.  Then SIGN UP!

    Let the birth junkies remove information overload and create colloquial clarity for your experiences ahead!

    For more information about becoming a Labour Doula or Childbirth Education… click HERE.

    About the author:  
    Shaunacy is a full-time Labour Doula in the Peterborough, ON, Canada.   
    She strongly feels that through evidenced based approaches to learning all families can benefit from prenatal education courses – and have fun doing it too!  
    Now as an instructor for Doula Training Canada she travels across Canada teaching others to become Labour Doulas and Childbirth Educators.  
    Are you ready to Doula and CBE Canada?  Join her!

    Copyrigtht – Shaunacy King (Glow Maternity), 2016.  Please do not print or copy without permission from author.  

  • Just a Doula. 

     

     – By Michelle Stroud –
    ​
    I have a long history of working with prenatal women with my maternity reflexology practice. For a long time I hesitated to take doula training even though I knew I would always work with pregnant and birthing women. Why? Because I often wondered if being a doula would be enough to satisfy my strong desire to work with birthing women. I am extremely passionate about pregnancy and birth. I want to be able to help women as much as possible and the thought of squeezing hips and wiping brows left me feeling like I might not be fulfilled in my pursuit to contribute to beautiful birth experiences with my clients.Would this be a stepping stone into midwifery for me? I was not sure. Now I fully understand how
    significant and important our role is. It is so much more than I originally thought.

    As a doula we are often the first go to person when a client has small concerns. I find my moms will text me with questions and I like being in that role. I take much fewer clients than midwives do every month and much, much fewer clients with Obstetricians. I really enjoy the intimate relationship that I build with my clients.

    We are not regulated and that has some major advantages. We get to dodge the radar and avoid the politics for the most part. As long as we are well intended and staying within our scope of practice, no one besides our clients really tells us what to do. That makes a doula practice very woman centered, which is nice. I am free to create my doula business and within reason, do with it what I want.

    Midwives, Nurses, Obstetricians all have paperwork to take care over, insurance companies to answer to, a ridiculous amount of documentation to keep (even throughout the duration of labour) where I can focus completely on my client and her needs. I am frequently asked “If I have a midwife, do I need a doula?” Absolutely! I can free your midwife to take care of essential clinical tasks, if counter pressure is working for you, I don’t have to stop doing it to take your blood pressure or listen to your baby’s heart rate. Doulas and midwives work really well together.

    Birth is safest and easiest for mom when it is really hands off. The fewer interventions from the start, the better the outcomes are statistically. As a doula, I am not trained to intervene anyway. So in birth’s purest form, I am able to be witness to one of life’s greatest miracles. I get to be a teacher, a servant and a coach and hold space for mom to have the best birth she can have.

    I love the freedom and intimacy of being a doula.

  • Childbirth Educators: A Cool Career

    Childbirth Educators: A Cool Career

    Impact. 

    If I were asked to choose one word summarizing the role of a Childbirth Educator, this is the word I would choose.  Impact.
    Installing confidence in new parents as they make plans and transitions towards becoming a family is one of the highlights of a Childbirth Educators career.  In this role a educator is able to work alongside their clients to help them mitigate the choices and challenges they may face in labour, birth and early parenting.  A Childbirth Educator has the opportunity to provide clear, well-researched, and relevant information that impacts a new family’s life in perpetuity.  Wow.  How awesome is that?!

    Skill.

    Childbirth Educators bring a diverse skill set to their courses, which benefits their prenatal course registrants.  Not all of our skills and experiences are the same, and one does not necessarily need to be a parent to become a fantastic Childbirth Educator.  A passion for birth and parenting, research-oriented initiative, and drive are all qualities that successful Childbirth Educators possess.  Do you love teaching?  Awesome!  Do you love people?  Even better!  Do you have a passion for birth and parenting related topics?  Perfect!

    Challenging.

    I use to be obsessed with the show “Mythbusters.”  There was something so gratifying in gambling on whether a myth would be busted or ratified.  Challenging myths and exploring evidence-based opportunities available to new parents is a big part of a Childbirth Educators role in the classroom.  We are the “mythbusters” of the modern-day childbirthing world who breakdown the walls of conformity between accepted and expected.  Ooooo… I sense a t-shirt tagline in the making!

    Fun.

    Name one other profession in the world that can get 10+ adults giggling simultaneously over topics like mucous plugs, leaky breasts, and sphincters.  None!  Childbirth Educators take the uncomfortable and make it cheerful.  We replace fear of childbirth with fun and fact.  We normalize the not-talked-about, we expose the eclipsed, clear up the cryptic…. And we can teach people all sorts of wonderfully fun positions for pushing a baby out too!

    Why Certify?

    Deciding to certify as a Childbirth Educator diversifies and developments your skills in pedagogical communication, research methods, lesson planning, marketing, business practices and much more.  A well developed CBE program will boost your confidence AND set you on the right path towards registering those first few families.  It is a commitment that qualifies you to take your passion for birth and parenting and transform it into a journey of a lifelong career.  A career with tremendous reward.  A career with tremendous impact.

  • The re-launch of CBE!

    The re-launch of CBE!

    We are so honored to have Shaunacy King from Peterborough, co-owner of Glow Maternity, join our team and work to help make our Childbirth Educator program as fabulous as our other programs (Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula).

    With a background in academia, Shaunacy is driven by an evidence based approach to educating and assisting expectant and new parents.  “My background in social research naturally drives me towards approaching birth and parenting from a perspective of advocacy.  Meaning, I strongly feel that each family should receive all of the facts that will lead to their best birth and birthing ‘their own way’.”  And this philosophy is what makes her such a great inspiration to our CBE students.  She wants each of YOUR families to be empowered too!

    But is it worth it for you to become a Childbirth Educator?  Have a look below at this great visual display of the benefits of receiving certification, especially if you are already a birth or postpartum doula.  As a Childbirth Educator you are in a great position to gain clients after they have already made a personal connection with you during their CBE class.  If you are not looking to be a Birth or Postpartum Doula, you could set your business up to work closely with those professionals in your community and network together to help increase each others businesses.
    Yes, our Childbirth Educator training is intense.  But that is what makes it well worth it in the end for you to be the BEST business professional you can be 🙂

    Why would someone choose to become a Childbirth Educator?  Some of the reasons are:

    * they have a passion for birth, parenting, helping, empowering or all of these!
    * their family life would benefit from the fixed schedule a Childbirth Educator over the variable schedule of a birth doula
    * they want to offer a diverse perspective on birth in their community

    In class trainings are being offered throughout Ontario in 2015 and will extend to other provinces in Canada in 2016.  Use the link below to register for one of these sessions and start your certification journey as a Childbirth Educator today!