I have been really enjoying my time training with other women who want to become post-partum doula’s. I have learned so much from them and really found a group of people who I can identify with and learn from. It has been great to see so many different women from such varied walks of life who have so much to offer.
I believe I am the only grandmother in the class, but I’m not the oldest. There are women who are in the early stages of motherhood and life, and there are others who are older and wiser than me but have not had the privilege of becoming a grandmother yet. We have nurses, lactation consultants, business women and stay-at-home mom’s as well as the professional birth doula’s in the room. I have enjoyed getting to know them and sharing our passion for women and families.
Everyone has their reasons for choosing to take the training, but behind everyone’s reason is the desire to help women and families become better. Some of us want to help make sure our experiences aren’t repeated. A few in the group just have a passion for women. Whatever the reason, I am sure this will be such a beneficial training for all of us.
I have realized it is actually a little more time intensive than a birth doula. With a birth doula I may be gone for a day or more in one shot, but it’s only 3 or so times a month. As a post-partum doula I would be gone on a more regular schedule every week, visiting the family and educating and equipping them to be a better family unit. I may put more emphasis on being a birth doula for now with only limited time spent with post-partum clients since the twins are so young and need more consistant child care.
Once other thing I have learned so much about is post-partum mood disorders. I know I suffered this with my second child and it was a serious difficulty for me to get past but I didn’t know what was wrong. It wasn’t talked about then and if it was very little was available to help you with it. I didn’t actually get help until he was 3 or 4 years old. It’s a wonder he made it to be the wonderful young man he is today. I have learned the things I thought about myself were not unusual and there are so many women who have felt the same way. It has actually empowered me a little bit to free me from some of the guilt I feel from thinking I was a failed mother at that stage of my life. There are so many warning signs and so many things we can do now to help a family who is experiencing issues with post-partum mood disorders. I also learned even father’s can experience some of the same feelings and issues, but they don’t want anyone to know about it.
I am really excited to put this new knowledge to work and am looking forward to getting my certification completed so I can pair up all of my skills to be the best doula (woman who serves) I can be.
Anabellum417 