The Importance of Doulas in the Reproductive Justice Space
BADT honors and values SisterSong’s definition of Reproductive Justice: the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.
The Reproductive Justice (RJ) space includes direct care work-- like the work full-spectrum doulas do-- policy work, and community-based movements. As a values-based doula training organization, we are constantly in conversation about how doulas support the broader RJ movement. We are always expanding our own learnings and unlearnings both within our organization and with other community stakeholders.
This article offers birth workers, aspiring birth workers, and birthing people some insight into how we view the role of doulas in the Reproductive Justice space.
What is the Role of a Doula?
Full-spectrum doulas can support people through the full range of reproductive experiences from preconception, to birth, to abortion, to miscarriage, to adoption, to postpartum. A doula’s job is to respect and support the values, beliefs, and autonomy of the birthing person and/or family they are supporting.
Rather than having an agenda, a doula offers nonjudgmental space for the client to process, share wishes, preferences, and needs, seek additional information, and establish rapport and trust. In other words, a doula honors and centers their client’s bodily autonomy and sense of safety.
We always like to give credit to the elders and community stakeholders who modeled care and birth work in generations before us. While trainings like BADT’s are new, this work is not.
How Can Doulas Impact the Reproductive Justice Space?
As birth workers, we know that the medical-industrial complex is a system where the -isms (racism, classism, ableism, and so many more -isms that reflect oppressive, dominant culture) are embedded in policies and practices. Furthermore, this deeply impacts individuals and communities. Folks who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, queer and trans, Disabled, and/or living with other oppressed identities, are at risk of facing harm within the very system that is intended to support their wellness.
Full-spectrum doulas support their clients as they navigate their unique reproductive or birthing journeys. They validate them, hold space for their process, and, as needed, help slow things down in a system that runs very, very quickly. In other words, doulas can help a client protect their inherent human rights.
Doulas who align with BADT values go beyond direct person-to-person care. The work of a doula happens in their neighborhoods, birth worker book clubs, Capitol buildings, journals, petitions, community conversations, anti-oppression trainings, and beyond. Thus, the impact doulas have can be both expansive and deep.
What Does it Mean to Be a Community Care Worker?
Doulas hold a unique and important role as community care workers; they are not beholden to a licensing body or narrow scope of practice. While there are certainly things that are outside of the scope of a doula’s work (performing physical exams or medical procedures, for example), there is a great deal of flexibility in how they show up for their clients.
This means that a client receives individualized care based on their needs and the relationship the doula and client build together; for example, care work can be anywhere on a spectrum from short-term to long-term, virtual to in-person, chit chatty to quiet, and so on. Additionally, doulas can support people across state lines, through various and different reproductive experiences, and in creative ways that the medical industrial complex may disregard or simply be unable or unwilling to provide.
Becoming a doula is certainly a significant investment of time, energy, and resources, and we acknowledge that this path is very different from the path most other care providers, such as nurses, midwives, and doctors, must take to get their jobs-- aka degrees, exams, licenses, etc. Doula trainings can be accessible and community-centered, and, at BADT, we are proud to offer various pathways into this essential work, including scholarships, diverse courses, and accessibility options.
As mentioned above, care work and birth work have long histories in cultures and communities across the globe and across time. We are sensitive to the fact that doulas need to charge well for their services because this is intensive, whole-person work, AND we want to believe in a future where all people who desire the support have access to a doula for any and all reproductive experiences. This is a nuanced conversation and one that is ongoing. We do know, though, that it is important for doulas to be grounded in their communities (local and beyond, as well as identity-centered), such that they understand the barriers that they, their clients, and they loved ones may face.
Resources for Further Exploration
The Radical Doula Guide is a political primer for full spectrum pregnancy and childbirth support written by Miriam Zoila Pérez. The 52 page guide is a resource for doulas that addresses the political context of supporting people during pregnancy and childbirth. Check out this podcast and TED talk, too.
Radical Doulas Make “Caring a Political Act”: Full-spectrum Birthwork as Reproductive Justice Activism dissertation by JaDee Yvonne Carathers.
Evidence Based Birth statistics about how the presence of a doula, or continuous support person, can positively impact a person’s birth experience and outcome. (We eagerly anticipate future research about full-spectrum companion work.)
Doing birth work from a reproductive justice perspective by Sierra Holland at All Bodies Birth.
The Doulas: Radical Care for Pregnant People by Mary Mahoney and Lauren Mitchell
Reproductive Justice: In Conversation with Loretta Ross with Columbia University’s School of Social Work
How to Practice Self and Community Care as a Birthworker on the BADT Blog.
Begin Your Journey with BADT
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