I often encounter confusion regarding the word "doula".   While supporting women as they transition to motherhood is an ancient tradition, "doula" is a relatively new (1993) profession. From search engines like Google to Microsoft Word "spellcheck", the word doula is not recognized by much electronic media.  On the phone,  I find myself regularly explaining it whenever I need to tell the person on the other end the name of my business.  Even in person, MamaDoula can be a tough one in the "B-to-B" (that's "business-to-business" in business-speak) world.  Staples had us listed as "MamaDusa" for the longest time in their Rewards Program.  Recently on the phone with Vonage, we used up quite a few minutes distinguishing "Amamadala" from "MamaDoula". 

Despite not quite penetrating the current cultural lexicon, doulas are plentiful in the Burlington area.  Women and families have many choices when it comes to both labor support doulas as well as postpartum doulas.  For labor support, there is Allison Hicks Doula Care, BirthJourneys, Genie LaDoula, and Meg Freeburn Doula, to name just a few.  Some of these doulas also provide postpartum, or after the baby is born, care in the home.  You can also work with a doula who is completing her training, often for a lower cost or no cost (contact us for details).

There are also postpartum doula services to help out after the birth of the baby.  MamaDoula, of course, Motherload Doula Care, and Sweet Start Doula  are three in Chittenden County.  In addition, you can sometimes find free-lance doulas, especially around the Montpelier area. 

Your choice of a doula or doula agency probably has more to do with your personality than a difference between what services each has to offer.  It's important to feel a personal connection with your doula or agency. You are going to be working with them during a very vulnerable time in your life.  

It's also nice to work with a doula who receives some sort of supervision or who is part of a group that consults on a regular basis with professionals in the community and with other doulas.  At MamaDoula,  I have a nursing & public health background and nurse-midwifery training.  My experience in and knowledge about public health in Vermont, the healthcare system in general, and specific maternal-child health topics is definitely an asset to MamaDoula. and because of it, I can provide the doulas with excellent supervision, particularly regarding staying within their scope of practice.  Because I have participated in well over 200 births myself and worked with hundreds of postpartum families, I am able to provide a high level of expertise to our staff and arrange relevant and timely training on topics such as breastfeeding support, emotional support for new moms, involving dad in care, birth art, postpartum planning, and normal newborn characteristics.  Since all of the doulas have plenty of experience themselves as mothers, my role is really one of overseeing rather than teaching. 

At MamaDoula, we also have the opportunity to consult with and refer to the professionals at Easternview Integrative Medicine.  We consult regularly with other doulas and meet ourselves for updates and discussions of pertinent topics.  In addition, all of our doulas have continuous online and phone support of experienced doula trainers.

To top it off, MamaDoula was founded in 2001 and has many years to develop methods that are most helpful to families as well as a reputation of quality and professionalism.  We have been able to use our collective experience to pass on a great deal of  wisdom to our families (only when they ask us, of course!)  We are proud of our history of supporting Vermont families.  We consider each family we work with an opportunity to make a difference in the life of that family and also in the life of this community.  

Whichever doula you choose, just be sure to pass your experience on to your friends and family.  Together, we can ensure a better beginning for new families by promoting the role of the doula.   Working as a professional doula is really about bringing back a tradition of support that is fading away in our super-fast, electronic, long-distance society and, in so doing, making a difference in the lives of individuals and in the larger community.  My hope is that many more families will begin to take advantage of what a doula has to offer as understanding of the word "doula" grows.  As a recently-enlightened new grandmother (calling to purchase services for her daughter )commented to me the other day, "Who wouldn't take advantage of having a doula?  I wish there was something like that when I had my baby!" 

We couldn't have summed it up better ourselves.