 It can be daunting to try and show the world how you differ from other doulas -- and this can often set us up for competition. In Day 4's selection, Natasha Longridge shares her feelings about the race between doulas, and how we can realistically shape our ideas about competition. I've been a doula for over 10 years. I've seen a lot of doulas come and go in this profession for many reasons, but the one reason for leaving doula work that always hits at my heart, is when other doulas say "There's too much competition". I wish to flip that perception. Take a step back, and think of where you heard the term doula. Was it from a friend? You're own birth? In the news? Chances are, it wasn't a common discussion, no matter where you heard it. Statistically, in the US (because nothing is coming up for Canadian doula stats) only 6% of birthing families chose to have a doula. If we are talking about over saturation in the job market, that number would be a lot higher! It also goes on to mention that another 27% would have liked to hire a doula. I like to look at that as a challenge. Obviously, we know that the word doula is still relatively unheard of in most mainstream circles. For as long as I've been a doula, I still run into people that say - I don't know what that is. How do we change this? How do we get the word doula to roll off the lips of every beautiful birthing person? This is the challenge; to make it part of everyday conversations. The way for it to make it into more conversations, is if it becomes the norm, and a way to make it the norm, is if there are more doulas! Abundance. I often share fellow local doulas info, blogs, etc on my business page. I have people ask me all the time why I do this. Why should I share and promote the "competition". To that I say, until every family on this vast planet knows what a doula is and does, I will keep sharing. I share because I'm not the right doula for everyone. I share because my doula sister has some great info, I share because even if I don't get the client, I know they are getting who they need and now one more family has doula support. One more family can now share the word doula with honour and love. Abundance. I'd like to change the word competition (rivalry for supremacy) to abundance (overflowing fullness). If we believe that we do this work out of love, then we need abundance. The world we raise our children in, that we bring future parents into, needs more love. By believing in abundance of love and support we all win. When we flip the idea that other doulas are competition, we lose the fear, we start to see how strong we are. We start to see the tribe of support that stands around us, holding the space for big things to come. That there is strength in numbers, and with those numbers, we have the power to create a birth world revolution.  Natasha is the mother to 4 spirited children who, along with their dogs, cats, and reptiles reside in Spruce Grove Aberta, Canada.
Natasha has been a practicing doula for over 10 years, and has worked in all Edmonton area hospitals, along with the local Lucina Birth Center and home births. She takes her role as doula very seriously, and in doing so she is forever upgrading her skills. Natasha has taken training through DONA, Stillbirthday University, and GK University. She is currently enrolled in The Cultured Doula Program, and has recently completed her Masters Rebozo with GKU. As a placenta specialist she trained with PBiU. Natasha can be found at Supermomma Doula & Placenta Edmonton, and her Facebook page.
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 I was absolutely in love with Raven's topic -- I feel the true spirit of doula work is gathering and nurturing our fellow doula sisters while on our various journeys. There are great ideas here for the doula looking to network, whether she is well-seasoned, or fresh-off-the-vine. I appreciate Raven's willingness to share -- may we all have opportunities to grow together! I felt myself called to doula work, as many birth workers do. It is such a pleasure and an honor to be invited to share these sacred intimate spaces with families and to help them access their own power and strength. The work can be long and difficult at times, but it’s hard for me to imagine anything more rewarding. Each birth is a gift that I treasure. Although this wasn’t something I expected when I began on this path, becoming a doula has connected me to my tribe. The friends and sisters I have met in our local doula community have changed me for the better and I consider them some of my closest friends. Maybe it’s because we understand one another, we understand the heart and soul of working with mothers as they birth their little ones. We can all nod and sympathize over talk of marathon births, life on call, the honor of witnessing the beauty of birth, and the best ways to apply counter pressure. We throw around words like “placenta encapsulation," “delayed cord clamping," and “cervical effacement.” We oooh and aaah over gorgeous rebozos and peanut balls. We just get it and we get each other. We live to serve and this allows us to connect to each other in wonderful ways. Sound delightful? It truly is. Here are 5 ways that doulas can connect with their local doula tribe.  1. Join your local doula organization. Do a little research and see if one exists in your area. I’m lucky enough to be part of the Utah Doula Association and it has connected me with so many fantastic doulas in my area. This type of organization usually hosts regular meetings where doulas learn new skills and become educated about birth and local resources. They might even sponsor a larger conference and publish a doula directory. If you don’t have one in your area, consider researching what it would take to start one. 2. Get involved. For example, if you’ve taken the first step by joining your local doula association, why not take it one step further by volunteering on the board? There’s no better way to get to know your fellow doulas than by working side by side with them and meeting up with them regularly. You might also look into volunteer opportunities. One of our local hospitals at the University of Utah has a volunteer doula program. This kind of work helps you meet other doulas, get to know the staff at the hospital, and they often hold trainings and in-services where you can increase your skill set. 3. Do lunch. Or dinner. Or dessert. Make a list of doulas in your area and arrange to meet some of them. You can do this on a one-on-one level and invite an experienced doula that you respect to meet you for cake and like-minded conversation. You’ll be amazed what you will learn. Another fun idea that has started up in my area is inviting a group of doulas to meet on a monthly basis for a potluck dinner. It can be so lovely to just enjoy some good food and some good company where you can chat about birth work and the doula life. It’s a great way to renew your passion and your energy. 4. Host birth meetings. Hosting informational meetings is a fun way to educate your community about birth options and can also be a way to connect with other birth workers in your area. Look into organizations like The Positive Birth Movement and consider hosting meetings of your own. 5. Share the doula love. If you get a client inquiry, but you’re unable to take that client, don’t just send them your regrets, send them a short list of other doulas in your area that might be able to take them. This helps the woman in need of a doula, it helps other doulas looking for business, and it helps you as those doulas reciprocate the favor. It’s a win-win for everyone involved. Run your business in abundance mode (there is work enough for all of us) and shy away from dealing in scarcity mode (there is not enough to go around). The more we support each other, the more clients we can serve, and the more demand there will be for doula services. So get out there and connect with your doula tribe! You won’t regret it, I promise.  Raven is a birth doula in Salt Lake City, Utah. She keeps busy chasing her four little ones around, volunteering on the board of the Utah Doula Association, volunteering at her local hospital, working with private clients, and just trying to keep up with the piles of laundry that never seem to disappear. You can find her at www.doularaven.com.
 I have known Avira for almost a year now. I remember being struck by her professionalism, and entirely impressed by what she had built up, all while waiting and feeling frustrated at the lack of doula clients coming her way. She didn't sit around waiting for business, she went out and created awareness about doulas, and community for birth workers! I was amazed at what her passion and efforts had "birthed." Hopefully this is encouraging to anyone still feeling stuck in that waiting period between wanting to work as a doula, and actually working as a doula!  I had felt a tug since my own births, the first being over 12 years ago, that I wanted to be involved in other women’s births. But raising two little ones, dealing with special needs, and deciding to homeschool my children for a time, meant there was little time to give to this dream. A new season in my life opened a way to my doula training at the end of 2011. It was intoxicating and surreal to be fully immersed in my favorite subject for a full weekend! Afterwards I was left with the job to complete my certification steps and to blaze forward in this work, on my own accord, which seemed daunting, if not impossible. I was in an area that seemed to have NO birth community or even an awareness of what doula care is. There did seem to be a thriving little birth community about an hour away, but that didn’t seem very practical as a source to plug into, as our local moms would not be reaching that far either. After a few months it occurred to me that I needed to start to round up some doulas to create a support circle. There were at least the ones I did the training with, and I had caught wind of a second nearby training that had taken place shortly after mine, so there MUST be enough of us to start a group! I sent out an email to everyone’s name I could gather, and the email got forwarded and forwarded, and soon we had rounded up a group of about 7 of us who were interested in meeting. We met at a local coffee shop and chatted up a storm. One of these amazing ladies, Coleen Salazar, was an experienced doula and IBCLC who had moved to our small area from San Diego several years ago, and was such a valuable resource for us! She welcomed us into her home for monthly meetings! From there we started our little Valley Doula Group, which ranged from 3-8 doulas a meeting. We would advance our education by digging into subjects and even have an occasional guest come and share with us. More than anything our purpose was to share and support each other on our various paths of birth work. This group was so inspirational and so needed for me. I would leave every night with my cup overflowing, by having others to share in my passion with me.  As months went by, as much as I tried to promote myself as a doula in the community, no births would come. I felt so frustrated. How am I going to be a doula if no one will choose me to be theirs! Even offers of minimal fees and sliding scale didn’t seem to work. Then it occurred to me… people are not going to hire a doula if they don’t know what one is! Sadly, we live in an area where a very small percent of the population seemed to care about their childbirth experiences, very few even attend the low-cost or free childbirth education offered by the local hospitals. I knew that it had to start with education! Where I had formerly lived, in San Luis Obispo, CA, there was a “Birth & Baby Network." I had browsed through one of their resource guides while sitting in the waiting room for an appointment with the CNM group who was providing my care. It was by browsing through that pamphlet, back in 2001, when I learned of the term doula, and became area of all my local pregnancy, birth, and parenting-related resources. The idea hit me like a lightning bolt! We need a local birth network!! Ideas are funny how they hit you and they stick, and fester and grow. Well that’s precisely what happened. Soon I had the name chosen, the website purchased, began building it (thanks to my IT savvy husband!) and the beginnings of a birth network started to take structure. Now I just needed a team! Surprisingly only one of the doulas from our doula group was as inspired as me: Denise Stricklind, a local doula, placenta encapsulation specialist, and birth photographer. Denise recognized the need in our area and was fully on board with my mission! Together we plugged away, like a full time job, how to establish a local birth network as a resource for support and education in our community.  The Big Latch-On Visalia Birth Network was founded in the late summer/early fall of 2012. Now, a year and half later, we have grown to 21 members, all various local professionals who support the Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative, which is the cornerstone of the Coalition to Improve Maternity Services and birth networks across the globe. The 10 steps in this Initiative propose a wellness model of maternity care that improves birth outcomes and substantially reduces costs. Every member must endorse this document upon joining. VBN offers free monthly educational meetings for our community. We have had topics like: 10 Ways to Avoid a Primary Cesarean Birth, Cloth Diapering and Baby-wearing, the Midwifery Model of Care, Perinatal Mood Disorders, VBAC: Can it be Done, Breastfeeding Q & A, and so much more. We also make a monthly appearance at our local farmers market to help integrate, and we also host some amazing events throughout the year such as the BOLD Red Tent (our 1st one coming this Saturday!), the Big Latch On, and the Rally to Improve Birth. We are a local collective of moms and professionals who care about birth experiences and who strive to make grassroots change in our community (you can follow us on Facebook if you’d like to keep up with our activities!). I love the way VBN seems to be impacting our community. We are starting to have loyal moms, who come out each month, not only for the information but for the support circle that VBN provides. It’s a group where moms are met with nurturing, supportive, and a “come as you are” attitude. I believe moms are grateful for our presence. And the other good news is that I’m starting to get busier with doula work! Our education appears to be working too! Moms are learning the benefits of doula care and the undeniable help that doulas offer at every birth. My hope is that this birth community we’ve created continues to grow and take hold in our area for years to come, and that our area moms and families continue to benefit from the access and support of caring perinatal professionals.  Avira has an expansive list of accomplishments! I just want to share what I know about her. She is eager to learn and eager to help. She has passion and talent. Avira's ability to rearrange her goals in order to maintain her love for doula work is the sign of her endurance and her creative thinking -- both excellent qualities on someone who supports families through the birth process! It has been a joy to work with her, and I have appreciation for what she offers to area moms, babies, and birth workers! Find her through her website, her Facebook page, VBN's Facebook page, and if you are an area doula, check out the Valley Doula Group.
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Stacie Bingham, LCCE, CD(DONA), CBS(LER)Calm, comfortable Lamaze education & experienced support for pregnancy, birth, & breastfeeding serving Bakersfield, Delano, Hanford, Porterville, Tehachapi, Tulare, Visalia + the World
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