Introduction to Doulas
Starting a family can be a time full of complex needs! For better or worse, there are entire industries dedicated to providing support and aid to those wishing to expand their families. A reproductive endocrinologist may help you conceive, and a midwife or OB/GYN can support you throughout your pregnancy and deliver your baby. You may choose to work with a birth coach prior to pregnancy, a lactation consultant after your baby is born, and a sleep coach as your little one gets older.
So where do doulas fit into this constellation? Let’s talk about it!
What is a doula?
A doula is a person who is hired to help others during intense times of transition. Most commonly, doulas offer emotional, non-medical support for a person as they give birth, but that is not the only time someone may want a doula present. Doulas are available to help others through a variety of challenging times, including post-partum, during the death of a family member, during medical transition procedures, and even during the process of having an abortion.
While people have been supporting one another through birth since the beginning of recorded time, the professionalization of doula work is relatively new. The term ‘doula’ linguistically has ancient Greek roots relating to serving/slavery (which is why many modern doulas are seeking other words to describe their role, such as “birth keeper”). The term re-emerged in the 1973 book The Tender Art of Breastfeeding and rose in mainstream popularity and circulation through the ’80s and ’90s. In 1992, the first certification organizations for doulas were formed.
While some people giving birth may have a partner or family member who is well educated on the topics of pregnancy and birth, delivering parents sometimes want someone on their birth team whose sole job is to support them and advocate for their emotional or situational needs. In this case, a doula may be the provider they are looking for.
How can a doula help me?
There are countless tasks a doula can take on during the conception, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum stages. These tasks focus on helping the birth parent (and partner or partners, if applicable) be emotionally well, physically comfortable, and informed in order to feel empowered throughout the process.
Many doulas have skills in setting the energy and mood of a birth space, providing input on supportive lighting, sounds, touch, and space, which many birthing people find invaluable. Doulas may also be adept at using tools such as music and massage to bring a relaxing and empowering atmosphere to a birth space. This can be helpful for first-time parents or those who have anxiety or dysphoria around giving birth.
Expectant parents from the transgender community may enter the birth world with an incomplete understanding of pregnancy information, because many resources were created for cisgender pregnant people. In these cases, a doula (or a midwife or childbirth educator) can provide inclusive resources for learning more about the processes around pregnancy and birth. Expectant parents can take that knowledge and build on tit to make a comprehensive understanding of what they are going to experience and advocate for. Some doulas are trained childbirth educators, lactation consultants, or massage therapists, or may be professionally trained in other aspects of birth support. These doulas can help with additional needs, according to the training they’ve received.
As a trans expectant parent, you may also encounter a lack of recognition from medical practitioners and/or other providers. If your doula is also a member of the LGBTQ community or is a well-trained ally, they may be able to effectively advocate for your identity during the birth itself (or medical appointments leading up to your birth). This can empower you to focus solely on the work of giving birth. Additionally, if you are a person of color, have a disability, or are otherwise more likely to experience bias and harm during your birthing process, a doula who also shares those identities or who is a well-trained ally should be able to interrupt and address racism, anti-Blackness, ableism, or other harmful behaviors from others while you are laboring.
Transgender people may struggle with finding enough support from families and/or communities during these vulnerable times. Some trans or nonbinary people have disconnected from their family of origin or have few peers who are also starting families. This lack of logistical support can be supplemented by the hiring of a doula. They are there for the sole purpose of making sure that you are well in mind, body, and heart. For some, that focus of attention can bring a sense of security.
What is important to remember is that doulas are there to provide non-medical care and support. Doulas can have helpful suggestions for coping skills and home remedies for mild discomfort or temporary issues. While they are often well informed around common challenges experienced during pregnancy and labor, remember that they are not medical professionals so it is best to discuss medical issues or concerns with your medical providers. If your medical provider isn’t addressing your question or concern adequately, a doula can help you prepare for these conversations and can even accompany you to your appointments so you feel safe and comfortable asking questions and advocating for yourself during the process.
How can I find a doula?
Trans Fertility Co. strives to bring our audience the information and resources to be able to have the best fertility and family experiences possible. We are honored to be able to share the events and tools provided by multiple trans, nonbinary, queer, and ally doulas on our events calendar which you can find here.
In addition to our community events providers, databases of professionals exist. The Queer Doula Network and Rainbow Doula DC are collections of doulas who are also informed about the LGBTQ community. At this time the major organizations that certify doulas and have databases of birth workers do not make LGBTQ2+ a search criterion and do not have a standard of training relating to transgender and nonbinary issues.
Trans Fertility Co. directly tries to overcome the gap in doula training by offering comprehensive transgender and nonbinary birth training for birth workers. (You can learn more about our training here.) When doing your research to hire a doula, you will have to have individual conversations with providers to see what their comfort and understanding are regarding transgender issues.
Trans Fertility Co. is here to provide a wide range of information and resources to the transgender and nonbinary communities. If there is ever a question you have or you would like to share photos and stories of your trans family or fertility experience please reach out to us at adennis@collaborate.consulting.
