Hello everyone!
So recently I've been hearing about a very controversial doula organization called ProDoula. Now, as we all know, a doula is a woman who is trained to assist another woman during childbirth and who may provide support to the family after the baby is born. Anyone can be a doula, however, traditional the women who become doula are very passionate about childbirth, birth/social justice, quality maternity care, and the right to choose. The whole point of a doula is to take modern maternity care and progressively move it forward towards decreased unnecessary medical cost, decreased unnecessary medical intervention, decreased cesarean rate, increased physiological births, increased satisfaction in childbirth, empowerment in birth experiences and confidence in the female body. Although ProDoula is training more women to be doulas so that there are more doulas in this country, they are missing two major key points about doula work: Accessibility and Affordability.
Lately there has been some debate on what a doula should charge as her fee for service. Personally, as a doula-in-training, even I have trouble setting even the smallest fee for myself because I know not a lot of people can afford many things. As a result, I just volunteer my time so that I can provide services to a large range of people, from the under-privileged to the wealthiest, because I believe that every woman deserves a doula no matter the circumstances. The doula profession does tend to be undervalued because, to be quite honest, you can't put a price on a special moment like childbirth. I feel like being a doula is all about making sure women are taken care of, they are happy, safe, more educated and empowered, and that should come from the heart. Yeah, a little money wouldn't hurt, I mean, you and your family got to eat right? However, if you want to be a doula, you have to understand that it is a very critical profession. You're at a very special time when you're with an expecting mom, so you need to be very passionate about it because it can be very taxing, physically and emotionally. I do not think it's the type of profession you go into as a way to "get rich" or make like $100K a year, so to make it about money and business instead of love and care is very insensitive. We're in a healthcare crisis where many people can't get access to care, let alone good quality care, as it is. Having a doula is a way to combat the accessibility and affordability issue we have in our healthcare system.
Of course, on the other hand there really isn't anything wrong with setting a fee so you can cover your costs from providing your services. You can make some pretty decent money here and there if you're really good at what you do. I think I just have a problem with making it all about the money. It's bad enough that the pharmaceutical companies and the insurances companies are making health care all about money instead of fundamental human rights. I know our country was built on capitalism, making it on your own, creating wealth on your own - it is very individualistic - and that is fine I guess. Everyone should try their hardest to progress and make something out of themselves, but just not at the cost of their health. Health should never be at the betting table or jeopardized for any reason. It's not some luxurious commodity.
ProDoula is treating doula work as a luxurious service that can only accommodate the women who can afford it. They do not believe that all women deserves a doula. Their logic behind all of this? Well, Randy Patterson, founder of ProDoula, was sick of working long hours as a doula basically for free while struggling to provide for her family. She did not think that it was a logical profession to have when you have a family to provide for and take care of. She loves doula work but it couldn't be a full time career unless she made good money out of it, so she did. Now, that is somewhat understandable. As a doula, you have to work crazy long hours (24+ if a woman is taking forever to give birth) and if you have a family, you have to seriously consider childcare, how to afford childcare, and how to provide for your family. Again, it is a very taxing job. It's a very noble and honorable job but very hard, so I get it. However, to say that not all women deserve doulas, that doulas are a luxurious service, and to be aggressive and competitive about fees for services is outrageous. It is disrupting the whole birth world and everything we are trying to do for women!!
Honestly, it's hard. If you really love this profession, you do not want to do anything else and you need to provide for yourself and/or your family, then yeah make a business out of it! It really is possible to do. Just make sure it is still coming from the heart. Don't follow the same philosophies that drive ProDoula's business. Our individualistic and capitalist culture is already ruining our health care system, don't let it ruin something as beautiful as childbirth. It's just not humane. Also, it's okay if it's not your main profession. You can just do it on the side because you love helping pregnant women and love witnessing the only miracle in life that happens every day. That is possible to. It can be very fulfilling. Personally, I am okay with having a separate career and doula'ing on the side for just some extra money. It's fun, I am happy and my clients are happy. That's all I need in life.
Check out the article on Buzzfeed about ProDoula and how it's ruining the birth world!
https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/doula-drama?utm_term=.camJMPB7K#.wcN54VvPd
Stay Strong, Stay Beautiful, Stay Empowered
Love,
Rosely
Great post! I think you are very right. Doulas should be doing this work because they are passionate about it, not to make money. Personally, I think doulas should work on a sliding scale. If the client is very wealthy, they should pay more. If the client is middle class, they should pay something. If the client is poor or working class, they shouldn't have to pay. It is an ideal that might not be possible, but doulas should try to have a variety of clients so that they can cover their expenses and provide care to those who really need them.
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