Say that five times fast.
I have a doula village. I have my mentor to help guide me and process after attending a birth. I have my online DTI community offering words of encouragement and education. I also have a backup doula for long labors or life circumstances that prevent me from attending a birth. There's also a local community of doulas who offer support as well as my own family who make it possible to be away for long hours.
Along with the rest of the tribe around me, there's so many people that have my back so that I can focus on having my client's backs.
As a new-la there's a lot to learn outside of the formal education. *Insert mentor here*. My mentor is an experienced doula who has worked the birth industry locally with all sorts of families. Bless her heart, I can e-mail, text or call her whenever with my questions no matter how left field. We also talk after a birth to help process the experience. These sessions are important; I talk, she listens, we analyze. It prevents me from projecting on to clients and helps process their births objectively, without my baggage.
Community is so important. It's part of the human experience to feel understood and validated, and even more so by one's peers. My DTI community of fellow doulas are a click away. They are not only a reliable source of continued learning but of shared experiences. We expand the globe and are a testament to how continued care and support make all the difference in the birth industry.
Having a backup doula that I can trust and rely wholeheartedly on is beyond a blessing. My backup steps into a birth if I'm unable to attend. This happened quite recently when I came down with the stomach flu. The last thing I wanted to do was leave my client without support but even worse was the risk of getting her and her family sick. So I made the call and my backup swooped in seamlessly to support my client. Her and I have a great relationship and I know my clients are in good hands should I need her to step in.
My family is the oil that keeps the wheels turning. They support me, keep me grounded and are the reason I got started on this path to begin with. Along with the rest of the tribe around me, there's so many people that have my back so that I can focus on having my client's backs. Many hands make light work and accepting help and healing makes for a better me to better serve. Winning.
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