In case you missed it, World Doula Week (WDW) is an annual movement seeking to “empower doulas all over the world to improve the physiological, social, emotional, and psychological health of birthing people, newborns and families in birth and in the postpartum period.”
At Doula Trainings International, we recognize the week by exploring the ins and outs of doula life. From now until March 27, 2020, you can expect daily interviews on our blog (featuring doulas doing the work) and on our Instagram and Facebook, you can tune in for giveaways, takeovers and birth world resources and tools. Today, we’re launching World Doula Week with a round-up of things you can do to celebrate with us.
Here are 10 things you can do to recognize World Doula Week:
1.) Download our Slow Doula Method® course for free.
DTI created a tool called the Slow Doula Method® (SDM®) to help doulas have the skills to take action steps in owning their role as effective and compassionate change makers in today’s birth climate. SDM® is a strategy—it helps you slow down, center your communication, connect with your clients, remain self-aware and discern the dynamics at a birth with the intention of humanizing the birth experience.
In light of COVID-19, we have decided to make our Slow Doula Method® virtual course free—available to anyone and everyone in our community. [Click here to sign up for the Slow Doula Method® course.]
2.) Incorporate virtual doula support into your practice.
We know the past few weeks have been tough on the birth world community. We’ve been navigating social distancing, shelter-in-place restrictions and the financial fears and health worries of COVID-19—all of which put a strain on in-person birth support in hospital and private settings. If you’re looking for support during World Doula Week around going virtual and navigating COVID-19, you can sign up to attend a free community call (full schedule on our calendar). You can also read our blog post on providing virtual doula support here.
3.) Enter our World Doula Week giveaway.
This week, we’re hosting an epic giveaway on our Instagram (@doulatrainingsint). From now until 11:59 PM CT on March 27, 2020, every comment on this post will be entered to win our #doulalife merch line, a free community membership at DTI ($157) and a ticket to BORN INTO THIS 2020 in Austin, Texas ($299). Click here to enter.
Editor’s Note: The winner, selected at random on March 28, 2020, must claim their prize via email by April 15, 2020. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Instagram and is independently hosted by Doula Trainings International.
4.) Learn more about our community partners Mama Sana Vibrant Woman ATX.
Our Austin-based friends at Mama Sana Vibrant ATX are transforming communities. As a nonprofit, they provide free Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum support for Black and Latina women in Austin. You can learn more about their mission by clicking here.
5.) Sign up for Sex + Body Classes with All Bodies Health.
Co-founded by one of our doula educators, Ash Spivak, All Bodies Health provides modern health classes from the comfort of your couch. You can use their website to learn about sex and the body, shop period cups and fertility tests or find practitioners.
6.) Learn more about birth justice with Re+Birth Equity Alliance.
Re+Birth Equity Alliance is a nonprofit organization committed to building bridges in the interest of achieving birth justice for marginalized communities across the state of Texas. The organization teaches implicit bias trainings for birth workers, organizes mobile mental health clinics and pushes forward inclusive sex health education. You can learn more about the work that they do, how to support their initiatives and learn from their frameworks on their website.
graphic courtesy of www.rebirthequity.org
7.) Get to know the parents, entrepreneurs and thought leaders speaking at BORN INTO THIS.
Every year, we host BORN INTO THIS—a gathering for creatives, parents, birth professionals and leaders to explore reproductive health. This year, we’ll be joined by 22 speakers leading movements in reproductive health. They are advocates in this space and are passionate about spreading the awareness around bodies, birth, parenting and autonomy. You can learn more about their stories and careers here.
8.) Read “This Book Is Anti-Racist.”
Who are you? What is racism? Where does it come from? Why does it exist? What can you do to disrupt it? In “This Book Is Anti-Racist” by Tiffany Jewell, you learn about social identities, the history of racism and resistance against it, and how you can use your anti-racist lens and voice to move the world toward equity and liberation.
Editor’s Note: Tiffany is joining us at BORN INTO THIS in September! You can learn more here.
9.) Dig into Nurture by Erica Chidi-Cohen.
We’re a proud affiliate for Nurture, an online birth course by Erica Chidi Cohen, which brings her beloved book “Nurture, A Modern Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, Early Motherhood— and Trusting Yourself and Your Body” to life. It’s a wonderful guide for expecting people and their partners but it’s also a fantastic resources for doulas. The course has 5 comprehensive modules covering pregnancy, birth and the postpartum shift and will provide you and your clients 24/7 access to:
• Exclusive content not available in the book
• New recipes
• Printable worksheets
• Links to Erica’s go-to online pregnancy, birth and postpartum resources
• Monthly ‘Ask Me Anything’ live webinar with Erica Chidi Cohen
[Click here to take the course for $100.]
10.) Subscribe to Everyday Birth magazine.
Everyday Birth is a print and digital magazine about pregnancy, birth and parenthood. They’re on a mission to tell the stories of and speak to all parents, because “inclusive representation in birth education isn’t just nice. It’s necessary. It’s not a cherry on top—it’s a pillar of a safe and equitable health system.” You can subscribe to Everyday Birth here.
Want to become a doula?
In case you missed it, we offer trainings, support and a professional community for aspiring doulas and birth workers. You can take online courses with us on childbirth education and reproductive health. You can also certify as Childbirth Educator or a birth, postpartum or full-spectrum doula with us. Explore our training calendar here to learn more about what we have coming up and feel free to reach out whenever at hello@wearedti.com. You can also tune into our blog all week for daily interviews with doulas doing the work.
Happy World Doula Week!