Volume 2, Issue 3 - April 2015

Dear CBI Students,

What has been inspiring you lately?  As I wrap up my second term in my first year of midwifery school, I am finding that I need a lot of inspiration to motivate me to keep working toward my goals.  One of my inspirations to continue this work is seeing the world-wide caesarean statistics.  Did you know that April is caesarean awareness month?  What is the rate of caesareans where you live?  Do you feel that that rate is an accurate portrayal of how many women in your community need a caesarean?  What do you feel is driving the rate either up or down in your area?

As birth doulas, how can you help prevent caesareans, and how can you support a client through a surgical birth?  As postpartum doulas, what are some special techniques you might employ to help your caesarean-recovery clients?  As breastfeeding counselors, what are some of the effects a caesarean birth can have on the breastfeeding relationship, and how might you help that relationship?

The work you are doing makes a difference!  Studies show that continuous labour support significantly reduces the rate of caesarean delivery.  Women state that postpartum doulas significantly improve their post-cesarean emotional and physical recovery process.  Studies show that when women are supported in their breastfeeding attempts post-caesarean, they have long-term breastfeeding rates on par with their vaginal birth counterparts.  See how much difference this support makes?  Keep up the amazing work, birth workers!

Warmly,
Amy

ADVOCACY

 One of the biggest reasons I hear women become doulas is so that they can advocate for their clients.  Perhaps you had a beautiful birth experience and you hope to help other women experience the same thing you did.  Perhaps you had a rough birth experience and hope to save women from the same.  Either way, often times it's big feelings that drive women into this profession.  

   

While the idea of speaking up for our clients or empowering our clients is common in doulas as they start out, I would love to see you grow into a better understanding of your role in your client's experience.  The bulk of advocacy as a doula is best done in the prenatal time as you use your active listening skills to hear what your client really desires for her birth.  It is done as you help her explore her options and help her gather information on her choices.  Advocacy is walking a client through situations and practicing with her to enable her to speak up herself and use her voice. Advocacy is asking her in the labour room if she feels she has all of the information she needs to make a decision.

In the Communication Skills manual, it states that "enabling clients to make choices on their own is empowering and teaches them a skill that they can use in the future in many other situations.  Although it is tempting to want to 'guide' the process, this draws power away from the client -- it is the opposite of empowerment!" (pg. 75).

Megan Hendrickson, in her final communications paper, wrote so eloquently how CBI sees our work in advocacy and empowerment, I feel I need to share it with all of you:

"I no longer see it as my responsibility to empower women - but instead to help encourage them to find their own power that they've had all along.  I don't view myself as an advocate for my client - but rather as a support and reminder to advocate for herself.  I don't want to find myself in a position of authority or to be viewed as a hero - I want to serve women as they find authority within themselves and come out of their births inspired by their own strength and heroism and confident in their bodies and themselves." 

  In the visual above you see two people holding up another person who is speaking.  Where do you see the doula in that pyramid.  Is she on the bottom supporting the client as she speaks, or is she using the client as a stepping stool to voice her opinions?

IN THE NEWS: 

In February, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), in collaboration with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) published a paper in support of delayed cord clamping at birth.

"The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that for healthy women at term the cord is not clamped in the first 60 seconds and that it should be clamped before five minutes, although women should be supported if they wish this to be delayed further."

To read what they've found to be the benefits and risks of cord clamping, read here.

WELCOME NEW STUDENTS!

We are so glad that you have joined us on your journey

• Jennifer G., Arizona, USA - Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Breastfeeding Counselor
• Hannah R., Victoria, AUS - Birth Doula
• Elanor D., NSW, AUS - Birth Doula
• Marlee M., California, USA - Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Breastfeeding Counselor
• Charla G., South Carolina, USA - Postpartum Doula
• Lucie K., California, USA - Birth Doula
• Radhika P., Ontario, Canada - Postpartum Doula, Breastfeeding Counselor
• Rachael B., California, USA - Birth Doula

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADUATES!

We wish you much love and success in your endeavors

• Heather B., Louisiana, USA - Certified Birth Doula
• Paige D., California, USA - Certified Birth Doula
• Cathee J., Hong Kong - Certified Birth Doula

Volume 2, Issue 2 - March 2015

Dear CBI Students,

Happy March to you!  This month I was able to travel home to the States for a week and a half.  As much as I would like to say it was for pleasure, it was purely for school purposes.  Though I was able to see my parents and one of my brothers, it was hard to only be able to spend three days total with them, and the majority of my time at a conference center in Utah.
One of the things I did in Utah was attend Karen Strange's Integrated Resuscitation of the Newborn.  If any of you ever get the chance to attend one of Karen's workshops, I would highly recommend it!  This was the second time I've attended one of her classes, and I always walk away feeling more grounded and more determined to advocate for the unborn and newborn.  One thing that really stuck with me from her workshop was the idea that our personalities are formed in utero more than any other time in our lives, and that babies not only gestate in a mother's emotions, but *marinate* in them.  I went from this workshop to spending a day with my own mom and her sharing her experience of her pregancy with me.  These two events together were incredibly eye-opening to helping me understand parts of my personality that I've always questioned.  And to be able to forgive myself and my mom for things we couldn't control.
Now, how I can apply this knowledge to the mothers I work with, this will be tricky!

Karen Strange explaining the transition a baby goes through at birth

Warmly,
Amy



Communication Paper

As the largest assignment tasked to all CBI students, and the cornerstone to the CBI philosophy, writing your communication paper can seem a daunting task to many.  Different students approach this assignment differently.  Some like to tackle it straight away, and get it out of the way.  Others tend to put it off while they mull over their topic and focus on other assignments at first.

This assignment is the topic of the majority of the emails I receive from students, so I'm writing this to cover some of the most common questions and concerns.

First, it is important to understand that written communication will likely be a large part of your initial contact with potential clients.  Being able to address their questions and answer in a precise and professional way will lay the foundation of a potential client's first impression of you and whether they want to pursue a relationship.  Therefore, working on your written communication skills is important.  Please, carefully read through the instructions.  They are quite exact and answer many of the questions I receive.  Verifying information is understandable, but asking a question that is clearly specified in the instructions often indicates that a student hasn't taken the time to thoroughly read through them.  Think about if you asked a client for information they just presented to you.  How might they feel about your response?

Second, I always recommend that, before you begin writing your draft, you do some pre-writing and write out a narrative of the birth or other even on which you're reflecting.  This allows you to first tell your story.  From there, you can then start pulling and picking the story apart and separate the descriptive parts from the feelings, from the actions and learning.

Read the sample paper.  It is an excellent resource and a great way to get a feel for how the paper should be constructed with content, word count and flow.

What should you expect from the feedback?  Every paper turned in will receive detailed feedback.  You can expect 2-3 pages of feedback on your draft.  Do not lament over the amount of feedback as it is intended to help you deepen your reflective skills, rather than state any inefficiencies.

In The News:

I'm sure you've all heard of the latest breastfeeding study that came out of the Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil that states that babies who are breastfed for a year are more intelligent, educated and wealthier at age thirty than those who are breastfed for less than a month.

Because this has to do with breastfeeding and intelligence, it will, and already has, spark controversy.  What do you think?  Do you think the results have to do with breastfeeding, or with socio-economic status?  With breastfeeding, or the attachment of mothers and babies?  What are your thoughts on this topic?

Welcome New Students!
Welcome to all of our recently enrolled students from around the world:

• Erica C., USA: Birth and Postpartum Doula
• Stefanie M., Germany: Birth and Postpartum Doula, Breastfeeding Counselor
• Paige D., USA: Birth Doula
• Eleni Z., Australia: Birth Doula
• Shawn K., Guatemala: Birth Doula
• Joti P., France: Birth Doula
• Nicole S., USA: Birth Doula
• Tiffani N., USA: Birth and Postpartum Doula
• Mandy J., USA: Birth Doula
• Lorraine H., USA: Birth and Postpartum Doula, Breastfeeding Counselor
• Andrea Z., USA: Birth and Postpartum Doula, Breastfeeding Counselor
• Teena H., USA: Birth Doula, Breastfeeding Counselor
• Shereen Z., Dubai: Birth Doula
• Lisa S., USA: Birth Doula
• Jennifer P., USA: Birth Doula
• Camille C., USA: Birth and Postpartum Doula, Breastfeeding Counselor
• Caro L., Australia: Postpartum Doula

Congratulations Graduates!
Congratulations to all of our recent graduates and we wish you luck as you pursue your passion.

• Rekha, India: Birth Doula
• Donna K., USA: Postpartum Doula
• Katherine D., USA: Postpartum Doula
• Natascha O., South Korea: Birth doula
• Grace V., Canada: Birth Doula
• Megan H., USA: Birth Doula
• Kim M., USA: Postpartum Doula

Volume 2, Issue 1 - February 2015

Dear Students,

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!

In Singapore, celebrations are in full swing this month as we celebrate the lunar new year and welcome in the Year of the Goat.

My youngest and her schoolmate on a field trip to Chinatown

January was a super busy month for my family and I didn't get a chance to send out a new year newsletter, so I'm trying for the Chinese New Year date instead!  Along with some traveling, starting a new school term for three of my kids and myself and starting a new school year for my oldest, falling into new schedules and attending births, I'm starting to wonder if life will ever slow down, or will I just get used to this new "normal"?  Because the Chinese traditionally believe that those who are born in the Year of the Goat tend to be unlucky, perhaps the babies will slow down this year?  With my calendar already filled through August, it seems very unlikely!

I wish you all a happy and prosperous new year and look forward to hearing about your struggles and successes as you continue your journey toward certification.

Warmly,

Amy

Bringing Diversity Understanding to Your Practice

One thing that I'd like to address for my students is the idea of cultural diversity. CBI students come from all over the world and live in areas with practices that may not be fully familiar with everyone.  Even within our own countries there is great diversity in cultures and beliefs and it is important that you start your work with, not only an understanding of the diversity in your community, but with an understanding of to whom you are marketing yourself.  

The work we do is intimate, in the homes of our clients, and interacting often with their families.  It is so important that we know best how to work with our clients and how to show respect.  I encourage you to look into your community.  Who are the majority, and what other communities are present?  How are those in the margins being cared for?  Are you representing them in your marketing and your communication?  Who might you be leaving out?  How can you reach out to those under-served or underrepresented in your community?  You may not be the right doula for every one in your community.  You do not need to work with every client who seeks you out, nor do you need to seek out every women in your community who is pregnant.  But, it is the important act of a mature doula to know the community at large, to know the resources available, and be able to point women in the right direction.

In The News

I'm sure you all have heard by now the news that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said home births and midwife-led centres were better for mothers and often as safe for babies.  While this is excellent news for the advancement of natural births in the U.K., it also has implications world-wide.  As more countries normalize out-of-hospital and midwife-attended births, the rest of the world starts to take notice and question their own practices.

In early February, the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) along with Society for Maternal and Fetal Medicine (SMFM) released a joint statement that identified Certified Midwives, Certified Professional Midwives and Licensed Midwives as appropriate health care providers, in addition to those health care providers which they had previously recognized, for low risk women in out of hospital facilities. 

What do these statements mean to the women giving birth where you live?