A Week In The Life of A Doula: The Day I Take Care of My Clients Without Seeing Them
The alarm goes off at 5:15… there were no loud phone calls in the middle of the night, alerting me about a birth. I don’t have any scheduled postpartum or prenatal visits today. No, today is a day I’m home with my children, and before I start the day with them, I am sure to make time for being a great doula for my clients.
What does this mean?
Quiet time for devotions in the morning, always a priority.
Research. Doula speak online might include quite a bit about intuition, but actually, you want your doula to care passionately about the science of birth, newborns, pregnancy, and postpartum health. I read books related to my job frequently and routinely read multiple articles a week related to these topics (call it career development ;)). Sometimes I look up specific issues for clients; sometimes I dive into a book I’ve heard recommended or found while reading new release birth titles; sometimes I simply browse research databases. Or unrelated books I’ve read will lead to more research: case in point, “Invisible Women” by Caroline Criado Perez included an absolutely fascinating study on baking soda possibly reducing c-sections, so of course I had to go look up that study! (you can read about it on the InstaGram page).
Water & Tea Intake: When I’m not doing weird birth-y hours, I’ve been focusing on intermittent fasting and excellent hydration. I want to be a doula with stamina, energy, and strength for myself, my family, and my clients. A dehydrated doula isn’t a good doula.
Later on in the day, I head to the gym. This is not a daily thing for my season of life right now, but it is a frequent one, and it matters. Those hip compresses that ease the pain of contractions? They don’t come from weak arms. I realized that the very first birth it’s something I concentrate on. Weights, cardio, stretches… all these things (and more!) give me the strength I needed to help women with their strength in labor. And also because I want to continue hiking with my children (& hopefully grandchildren) for decades to come.
Alright, y’all. Confessional time. You know what my home days almost always include? A mug of hot, creamy, and delicious hot chocolate. I make it from scratch: cocoa powder, an alternative sweetener (maple syrup, honey, or stevia), vanilla, and milk. And while my toddler is napping, you can usually find me curled up on the couch with a novel and my cocoa. It’s a special part of my day, another form of re-centering. Because, really, a doula who doesn’t also enjoy the gift of respite is also probably not going to be a great doula either. ;)