about doulas
Doulas in the Modern Birth Culture
Brittny ‘Bee’ Johnson
SONOMA COUNTY BIRTH DOULA
CHILDBIRTH EDUCATOR
Doula is derived from Ancient Greek and means a ‘woman who serves’ and indeed, there have always been women called to serve birth. There have always been those for whom birth is an old trusted friend, those who seem to belong in a birth room. Applying cool cloths, whispering encouraging words, acknowledging the incredible work it takes to birth a baby. Modern medicine and culture have changed how we birth and how we doula.
Hospital systems are now set up to serve the masses with as little risk as possible, and getting personalized patient care can seem impossible. That’s where doulas come in.
Today doulas offer so much more than a kind face and a cool washcloth to the forehead. I help turn babies in less than optimal positions, I help clients craft questions to ask their providers to assure they align with their values, build bridges with nurses who may have had poor experiences with doulas, explain emergency procedures to worried partners in real time, remind parents of their intuition, and advocate alongside their partners for their values to be upheld.
Attending hundreds of births has led me to a deep trust for birth, a broad understanding of the physiological process, and respect and appreciation of the occasional specific intervention.
Yes, I will absolutely encourage you and fan you between pushes. I will also advocate on your behalf, help you get information and understand your options, navigate hospital policies and legal rights, read medical studies in my free time, and attend meetings with hospital leaders to help bridge the gap between their policies and the families that those policies impact.
Birth has changed in significant ways, and yet so much of birth remains the same. My role is to protect your sacred space and bodily autonomy, and provide the trust to let your birth story unfold. Doulas are now being recognized and integrated into the medical model of care. As insurance companies cover doula care, and hospitals even hire their own contracted doulas, it’s more important than ever to expound on the Ancient Greek definition. I pledge to remain a woman who serves You, not the system.
