I got a post-card reminder in the mail that it is time for me to re-certify as a birth doula through DONA International. Receiving it has me thinking about my journey into birth, starting as a doula. Also wondering where I will go from here.
I have been a doula for about 5 years. Becoming a doula was my first step on this "slippery slope" childbirth career I'm on. I was taken in by two kind hearted midwives (CNM). They encouraged my growth and provided me with many wonderful experiences.
After certifying with DONA, I yearned for more knowledge. While attending births as a birth doula, I also got certified as a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator. This increased my knowledge even more. I got involved in local organizations like La Leche League and PaMILC, devoting time and energy in promoting peaceful births and postpartum experiences for new moms and their babies. I served (and still do) as DONA International's State Representative. And, I've attended every birth conference I could afford to on the east coast during these past 5 years.
My journey and yearning for knowledge lead me to nursing school, as you all know, in order to become an obstetrics nurse: A RN. With this part nearly complete and a job waiting for me in the wings, I am pondering whether I should re-certify as a birth doula.
I have all of the requirements (attended births & CEUs) accumulated. All I would have to do it send in the information. Which I most probably will. However, in looking forward to the future, I've realized the likelihood of me ever serving women as a birth doula again is very low.
This is bitter-sweet. Yes, I've moved on and attained a greater, more in-depth knowledge of childbirth. But, in doing so and in filling a new and different role, one of a RN, I'm leaving my first true love of birth: a doula.
As a RN, I will NOT be there to provide labor support. Nor will I be able to contract out privately as a doula to women as my full-time profession will make my availability for continuous support at a woman's labor nearly impossible.
My path as a doula is coming to an end.
I do hope to weave my experiences, inner wisdom, and knowledge of peaceful birth into the hospital experiences I am about to become a part of - as best I can. And, I know I will always bring with me a belief in the power of birth and its ability to impact women's lives profoudly - whether for good or bad.
I have built a strong support base for my practice as a RN while being a doula, filled with memories of women's empowerment and strength gathered from birth, embraced.
So, while I transition roles, yet again, I am filled with sweet memories, fear of the unknown, and hope for the future births I will be blessed to be a part of.
5 comments:
Send in the papers. Don't close that door quite yet.
You know, some of the best doulas I know (and busiest) have never even bothered to get certified (I include myself in this group). I am finding that the more initials I get after my name the more I want to simplify.
I am due for recert with Lamaze and am still struggling with doing that. One, because I don't have all of the CEU's required (I have enough RN CEU's to keep up with and Lamaze won't count those) and two, because I know that I have cut back my teaching so much and will never again have a teaching schedule busy enough to justify the money it costs to recert every three years.
I understand what you are getting at and am in the same situation.
Let us know what you decide
Lamaze will accept nurse contact hours for recertification as long as they relate to normal birth, breastfeeding or the stuff you teach in cb classes (not CPR, advance monitor strip reading). And if you mentor/motivate people to become Lamaze educators (and they put your name on their application for certification) you get credits of $25 for each..... I think the max is 3 but that reduces the recertification cost to something like $20.....You can also get 10 alternate contact hours for things like observing a new teacher teach etc!
Just wanted to make sure you wre making your decision on correct information.
Thanks for the food for thought. The one midwife who "took me under her wing" in the beginning told me once that she wishes she had never let her Lamaze certification expire. Her word of advice to me was to always keep your certifications. I didn't get into it at the time enough to ask her why she felt that way.. Now I wish I had.
The only down side is paying the money.. But in the grand scheme of things, it isn't that awful much (But when you are a student, everything is a lot; hopefully that will change when I start working as a RN).
I think there is also an "inactive" certification status with DONA for doulas who are not actively participating in births as a doula, but are still certified. I don't know about lamaze.
Teri, the problem is finding stuff normal birth, or cb related. None of the CEU's offered locally relate.
It's not really the money, it's finding the CEU's. If I could pay a fee to recert and not deal with CEU's, I would! I have elaborated more on my blog so as not to take up space on Myra's.
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