The Swearing Doula

The role of the ProDoula Labor Doula and Postpartum & Infant Care Doula is to work with families to develop individualized pregnancy, childbirth and parenting goals and strategies, and to assist in their support and implementation. The ProDoula doula provides physical, educational and emotional support. The ProDoula doula is not an advocate but rather enables and encourages the client to advocate for themselves.

With specialized training and education, the ProDoula Labor Doula and Postpartum & Infant Care Doula is qualified to provide support from pregnancy through early parenting in the following ways:

Without bias or judgment

From an evidence-based perspective

A ProDoula Labor Doula and Postpartum & Infant Care Doula refrains from the following:

May not give medical advice

May not administer medication

May not interfere with medical advice or treatment given by medical professionals

May not attend intentionally unassisted births

The following are the expectations of a ProDoula Labor and Postpartum & Infant Care doula:

To be an ongoing source of information, support and referrals for the families engaging in these services

To cultivate community-based relationships that facilitate vetted referral networks

To assist families during pregnancy, childbirth and early parenting free from the doula’s own personal judgment or bias

To stay current on all facets of pregnancy, birth and early parenting support

Professionally, all ProDoula certified birth professionals respect the roles of all other support professionals that the client may engage with and works in a complementary way towards achieving the client’s goals and wishes.

Truthfully I never felt good enough at anything until I became a mom. When my daughter was born, I was a single mom determined to make a way. At my baby shower, I was gifted 20 hours of Postpartum Doula care. After a very difficult birth experience, the care from my doulas brought more support than I realized I needed. As birthing people, we don’t often talk about the hard truths of labor and the time after. Once I’d experienced doula work, I knew even then that it was such an important service, but also unknown & undervalued.

For the next five years I grew my own small marketing business which allowed me time to devote to my daughter. Time that I cherished so much during the pandemic, where I learned so much about myself & the importance of parental mental health. During this period of reflection, it became almost natural for those closest to me to ask questions about birth & parenting. It was so clear that more information, more support and more education was desperately needed.

In 2023 I had a life altering personal experience that led me to bravely start over. After many years of ‘maybe one day, I’ll look into birth work’, I finally decided to register for my first Labor Doula training with ProDoula. I knew then that I was supposed to devote my time to supporting birth & educating my community. After my second training ProDoula, I was inspired to authentically create my own birth service business.

ProDoula encourages doulas in training to enter this service field authentically, creating their own identity as a doula. This inspired me to take a taboo, but true part of my personality and use it to name my work.

I’ve always been the person who goes against the grain, challenging norms and boldly speaking my truth - sometimes loudly & unedited! The raw and unfiltered truth about Parenthood is that it can be hard as hell. From the beginning, it can be a lot to face. Guidance and care from someone who’s been there can often ease a lot of those fears. My goal is to provide an authentic and caring experience to anyone who comes into my path on this journey.

Through ProDoula’s standardized curriculum, the fundamental do’s and don’ts of doula care are clearly outlined. Professionalism is ProDoula’s #1 priority.

Each ProDoula member must abide by ProDoula’s Standards of Professionalism, which includes conducting oneself in a manner that aligns with the goals, missions, and standards set forth by ProDoula:

• Labor Doulas and Postpartum & Infant Care Doulas must maintain current CPR/First Aid Certification

• Labor Doulas and Postpartum & Infant Care Doulas and Postpartum Placenta Specialists must maintain a clear and professional contract for all services

• Conduct yourself and your business in a manner that maintains all legal responsibilities

• Businesses must be established through appropriate legal channels

• Recognize and respect the uniqueness of all individuals by thoroughly exploring your level of cultural competency and continue to educate yourself on matters relating to diversity, inclusion, and equity

• Hate speech, discrimination, and an intolerance for diversity are unprofessional and contradictory to the ProDoula Standards of Professionalism. Additionally, this behavior prevents birth professionals from providing unbiased, judgment-free support

• Treat fellow birth workers with professional courtesy and respect

• Treat all medical professionals — doctors, nurses, hospital staff, etc., — with professional courtesy and respect

• These are also members of your client’s team and you must work cohesively with them

• Adhere to all rules/regulations of the hospital/facility where you work

• Treat each client and their family with professional courtesy and respect

• Maintain the highest level of confidentiality with all information and experiences — personal history or information about your client/client’s family should only be shared with other professionals AND only WITH your client’s permission.

• Drastically discounting or offering services for low/no cost, through any public channel (social media, online advertisements, flyers, etc.) is extremely detrimental to professional doulas and to the clients seeking these services. A ProDoula will NOT engage in this behavior.

• A ProDoula member will set a fair value for services. The price of services should be consistent for clients of all demographics, although fees may vary by geographical location.

• ProDoula members will not engage in intentional unassisted childbirth

• Maintain professionalism through the internet and marketing

• Your webpage/website should be up to date, professional, and encompass the high standards of judgment-free support put forth by ProDoula

• While social media communications may be personal in nature, the high standards of judgment-free support put forth by ProDoula should always reflect each birth worker as a professional