Fullcirclehealing

		Doula Training What is a Doula? A doula is a non-medical professional trained in providing physical, emotional and informational support to birthing women and their families before, during and after birth. Doulas believe in a woman's ability to birth her baby and may utilize massage, knowledge of the physiology of labor to suggest position changes, give encouragement, help with breathing and meditative techniques, and help parents to understand common hospital procedures. The primary role of the doula is to protect the woman's memory of her birth by supporting her in her informed decisions about birth and parenting. What is the difference between a Doula and a nurse or midwife? Nurses and midwives have medical training which gives them expertise in the technical aspects of labor and delivery. Because doulas do not have medical training, they do not monitor the baby's heart rate, do internal exams or administer medications. Doulas are there only for physical, emotional and informational support, which nurses and midwives often do not have the time to provide because of the number of women which they must look after at one time. Doulas are trained to understand the uses of common hospital procedures and interventions, as well as their effects on laboring woman and their babies, but use this information only to supply women and their families with an objective viewpoint of suggested interventions. Why "Doula" and not "birth coach"? Doulas of North America (DONA), the premier doula organization, decided at its inception that the imagery brought to mind by the word "coach" was not representative of the true role of the doula. Additionally, because here in Turkey midwives and nurses may also call themselves birth coaches (doğum koçu), I wanted to create a clear distinction between the medical and non-medical professions. What does it take to be a Doula? Doulas must be patient, flexible, sensitive and self-aware. A doula must be prepared to support the birthing woman and her family in their choices for the birth, whether she agrees with them or not. Being a doula is very rewarding, but also quite demanding. A doula must have a functioning cell phone and be available at all times, day or night, to attend a birth. Labors may be as quick as 3 hours or may last as long as a day. Some doulas work in pairs to ease the burden of being on-call. Doulas with small children must have reliable childcare available at all hours of the day or night. Some deliveries can be quite challenging, physically and emotionally, for everyone involved, and the doula should have a network of support for processing these difficult births. However, at the end of the day, those who are truly called to being a doula cherish the amazing gift of being able to support a woman during the most sacred moments of her life. What topics does Full Circle's Doula Training Program cover? Full Circle's Doula Training Program is comprehensive. I blend practices and techniques gleaned from my training through DONA, Heart and Hands Midwifery Institute and Birthing From Within, as well as my massage training and 10 years of personal experience working with babies and pregnant women. We will discuss common discomforts of pregnancy such as heartburn, backaches and groin pain and how to help women treat themselves. We will cover normal birth from onset to the first week postpartum and discuss the doula's role during each stage. Participants will learn self care practices to enhance their abilities to care for women as well as themselves. Birth trauma, initial breastfeeding support and the father's role at birth are also covered. This course is very hands-on, providing plentiful time for practicing skills before using them during a birth. There is also a great deal of support both from peers and the trainer throughout the program and beyond. Participants will be required to attend at least 6 births during the training program and so must have or find access to birthing women. Each participant will also choose a brief monthly topic to research and report on the following month (examples may be induction rate and effects on birth; supporting bonding after birth; affect of childbirth preparation and the mother's confidence in birth, etc) How long does the Program take? Full Circle's Doula Training Program spans 10 months, during which time participants meet once per month, for a total of 100 hours of learning time. The benefits of a long-term training are many: -time for building and testing out new skills while still being supported by a knowledgeable community -reviewing case studies prepared by peers -the opportunity to conduct relevant research in this new profession -the ability to slowly build a professional reputation while pursuing further education Who can enroll? This course is open to all women interested in supporting mothers during pregnancy, birth and beyond. No medical background is required. However, because being a doula takes a great deal of patience, empathy, and love, applicants will be required to fill out a form prior to acceptance in order to ensure that all those attending the course are ready for this challenge. Where will the course take place? In the calm and quiet of the Full Circle office in Anadolu Hisarı, Istanbul. For more information, please contact me.


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