I had a wonderful weekend attending Birth Doula training again. This time it was with a different instructor and she came from a different background than my first instructor. It made for another good learning experience and an example of why we need to keep continuing our education.
I loved the fact I was able to learn some new techniques or at least new to me. I also really liked hearing the same information from a different background and different set of experiences. Getting to meet several women who are coming into the field is also really good. They are bringing such a wealth of new experiences and have such a drive to work with women and families it will only help the profession.
I think it also helped this time around because since I have gone through it before and have actually been at several births, the information seemed to really sink in a little better and I was really able to gain a little more out of it. Truthfully, the first time I went through it I was so nervous, scared and had so little confidence in myself I didn’t get near as much out of it as I could have. This time I felt so much more confident, so much more a part of the world we were talking about I am really sure I processed more information. Especially the practical application sessions. I remember the first time I was in training and we practiced techniques on each other I was very nervous about touching someone I didn’t know and letting them touch me. Now, I am so used to it and trust myself so much more it made the practical sessions really helpful in brushing up on my techniques and working out a kink or two in a technique I was having problems with.
There is no such thing as learning too much and even when it is the same information you have already heard before, sometimes it is really amazing what a difference of a couple of years can make. I am really glad I had the privilege of going through training again and putting my “better honed” skills to the test!
Anabellum417 