Our Philosophy
As doulas, we do not ascribe to one particular birthing philosophy. We do not believe there is one right or best way to give birth.
We do, however, hold certain beliefs about birth; We believe that how a women births is greatly impacted on how she lives.
It would not be reasonable to expect that a woman would be able to labour and birth in a way that is foreign to her experience and personality, desires, and beliefs.
We believe that every woman and her partner will have needs that are unique and personal, and should be respected. The goal is not to attempt to learn and follow a certain “way” but to engage in a process of self-exploration.
We believe that childbirth is a Rite of Passage and deserves to be honoured and held as a life changing experience for a woman and her partner, involving and affecting the whole self, mind, body and spirit.
Our Guiding Principles
The birth process is an extraordinary experience which deeply impacts women, their partner, and their families and will be remembered as one of the most significant spiritual, emotional, and physical events in their lives. Labour and birth are natural, normal occurrences and we believe that women and their bodies instinctively and intuitively know how to bring their babies into the world.
The essence of childbirth preparation is self-discovery. A doula can assist the parents through a discovery process, she is not the expert from whom wisdom flows.
We encourage women to birth in awareness, not achieve a specific birth outcome. Pregnancy and birth outcome can be influenced by a variety of factors, and cannot be controlled by planning.
Women and their partners deserve support for any birth option which might be right for them (whether it be medication or no medication, technology or no technology, home or hospital birth, breast or bottle feeding).
Pain coping techniques when integrated into the daily life works better than when brought out and used only during labour.
Partners are best offering support as birth guardians or loving partners, not as coaches as they also need support.
Pregnancy, birth, and postpartum is a time of continuous learning and adjustment; support and education should be available throughout that period.
