This week’s featured healthcare provider blog is written by doulicia, “a mother, non-practicing lawyer, and labor doula.” Doulas help provide mothers and families with much needed information in childbirth and postpartum care, and have been shown to improve outcomes for mother and baby.

I had never heard of doulas until I got pregnant four years ago. How I wished I could have hired one when I gave birth in Japan.

doulicia’s blog is an excellent resource for both prospective and current doulas alike. She does a great job of staying current on topics related to pregnancy, childbirth, and families. Recently she wrote about the dilemmas faced by doulas when the pregnant mother’s culture prefers to birth at home without medical assistance.

The doula trainee’s dilemma was whether to say no, because she did not want to end up catching a baby, and leave the woman unsupported AND facing health risks, or to sign on as a doula with the knowledge she’d be asked to do more.

I could only point her to the DONA code of ethics, encourage her to talk to the trainer, and point out that she could be a hugely valuable resource for this woman in terms of helping her find affordable care she was comfortable with. The question prompted a lot of discussion among all of us there. For me it was a reminder that I work with very privileged women (i.e. those that can pay) and would like to find a way to reach out to other women, too.

If you’re interested in maternal health, I’d encourage you to read doulicia.