What is a Doula?

A Doula is a non-medical birth coach that provides guidance and support to expecting individuals and couples prior to, during and after birth. Imagine a nurturing companion by your side comforting you during one of the most transformative experiences of your life. Birth can be unknown and even feared if not approached in a positive way. A doula can guide both the birthing mother and her partner towards an enlightening experience and help navigate the postpartum weeks. Services and support are tailored to each client’s needs. In my early days of teaching prenatal yoga my students would some times ask me to attend their births. I did support one couple and it was such an amazing experience. One that I still reflect on five years later. At that time in my life I had two young children and didn’t have the family support to make an on-call situation work for us. After that I had to give referrals to my students despite wishing I could be there for them and offer continuous care. Fast forward to today…my children are a bit older and my husband has more flexibility with his job so I’ve taken the leap. I have begun my Doula training and have already started meeting with clients to support as part of my certification.

Here’s my take on why my yoga teaching is the perfect complement to doula support;

• I regularly guide my students towards peacefulness and relaxation. I have studied the nervous system and how our breathing affects us physically and emotionally. This can translate very easily to labour.
• Becoming a yoga teacher requires a strong background in anatomy and this knowledge will be very helpful during pregnancy, birth and in the postpartum period.
• Practicing grounding ourselves in a yoga class is helpful when labour gets challenging and we start to doubt our bodies and abilities.
• Most prenatal yoga poses are meant to prepare the body for labour and birth. Students who attend my classes become familiar with these poses and their bodies are very receptive to them even at 40+ weeks gestation. Practicing these positions and movements together before birth makes it very organic to use them during birth.
• We share. Students share their experiences during class and we develop a trusting relationship.
• Teaching yoga has helped me develop my intuition and ability to read energies. Maintaining a positive energy in a birth environment is key to supporting couples in whichever birth location they choose.
• I often have to “read” bodies in class to see how I can support them with comfort measures or modifications. Birthing women won’t always communicate through words that they need guidance to become more comfortable.
• Yoga is identified with the mind/body connection and this is something I understand and can teach to my students and client

There are so many other ways that yoga and birth are a perfect fit. If you would like to discuss further let’s grab a tea, a bolster and have a chat!

Namaste, Angela