BirthWorks Philosophies

Our Postpartum Doula Philosophy
 

• The knowledge about how to give birth already exists inside every woman. Women’s bodies are designed to give birth.
• Birth is sacred.  All babies deserve love and respect in birth, postpartum, and on into the years of childhood.

• The nutrition of a pregnant woman has a great impact on the health of her baby from its life as a fetus through adulthood and that breast milk provides optimum nutrition for the newborn baby.
• Birthing a baby and parenting a child require integration of the mind, body, and spirit.
• Birth and parenting are important challenges in life and provide an opportunity for personal growth.
• While a cesarean section can be necessary at times, the current rate is too high. Women with cesarean sections have special needs in the postpartum period as they recover from surgery.
• New families deserve evidenced based information as they navigate parenting choices for newborn care, feeding, and parenting styles. Opinions or anecdotal experiences shared with new families should be clearly stated as such.
• A woman’s beliefs influence her birth and styles of parenting. Exploring her beliefs heightens self-awareness, serving as a catalyst for positive change. A postpartum doula’s presence can help a new father affirm his role in parenting.
• The emotions of a birthing woman have profound effects in birth. Women must be allowed to express their birth-related feelings in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
• The practice of Human Values builds character and instills confidence in birth and life.
• Love is the foundation upon which positive parenting begins, and that one must have love of oneself before being able to love others.
• Interaction with new families should be from a place of love and non-judgmental support.
• There is not one right way to parent. Parenting with love, the knowledge of primal health and with evidenced based information may look different family to family. Parents are capable of choosing what is best for their own family.

• Postpartum doulas help to facilitate the new parents’ personal choices in raising their children; they do not impart a preconceived method. There is not one right way to parent so long as love is the underlying current of emotion.
• Postpartum doulas are respectful of families from all cultures, race, and religion and assist parents in their own rituals and traditions.

 
 
Application and Understanding