"Many women have described their experiences of childbirth as being associated with a spiritual uplifting, the power of which they have never previously been aware...To such a woman childbirth is a monument of joy within her memory. She turns to it in thought to seek again an ecstasy which passed too soon."
Grantly Dick-Read
I just love this quote. I find myself pondering my most recent birth (already six months ago!) several times daily. As I look back on it, and ponder it, I see how much I grew and it makes me realize how soon that ecstasy passed. Amazing...how childbirth can be so full of both pain and ecstasy. It is truly amazing.
I'm currently researching becoming a doula...I want to work with pregnant women so badly. I want to help others receive the fulfillment that comes through birthing children without intervention. I want to help change people's lives for the better. We'll see...I don't know if it is the time yet, as I have two small children of my own, and more to come in the next years. Lots of research and prayer are coming my way...
What a beautiful quote, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI want to share with you some of what factored into my decision to train as a doula now, even though I, like you, have 2 little ones and hope to have more, in hopes that it might help you with your decision.
What I'm really working towards right now is certifying to be a Hypnobbabies instructor (because childbirth classes are something you can schedule around a husband's work schedule), and they are looking for a background in childbirth and hypnosis. I will be taking their intro to hypnosis course, and they offer an into to childbirth one, but I felt that doula training (which also meets the requirement) would help me grow more. I will probably not actively attend births as a doula until we are done having kids. Because I decided to certify with Childbirth International, and they don't require yearly dues to maintain certification, it is cheaper for me to certify as a doula now instead of doing the Hypnobabies childbirth course and then certifying as a doula later. I also have several pregnant friends in my ward, so I figure it won't be too hard to get the 2 certifying births, and my baby will survive me being away for those births, especially since he'll probably be starting solids before my friends' due dates.
One thing I considered is if I did decide to take on some doula clients, I could give myself "maternity leave" of as long as I wanted after having a baby. However, this would still require having a babysitter, and we don't live near any family (if we move nearer any, that could change things), so I'm not planning on doing that. For my certifying births, since it will probably be my friends, I'm thinking that I will "charge" as "payment" for attending their births that they be on-call to babysit for my kids for each-others' births.
Thank you for that information Brittany. I checked out Childbirth International and they look like a good program. I like that you can do it from home. I'm still looking into babysitting options. I'm hoping I can find someone and just take about 2 clients a month, so I am doing something, but not necessarily a whole lot. Good luck with your classes!
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