Debra Pascali-Bonaro

Awaken Your Inner Wisdom

how to become a doula

Should I become a doula?

by Ariel de Roche

Ever have a song stuck in your head?

And that one line keeps repeating over, and over….and over again.

And no matter how hard you try fight it, it seems like your inner DJ has a glitch.

Well sometimes fear can feel like that, a repeating song of doubt, whispering, “Are you sure you this is the right thing to do?”

This is how I felt leading up to my doula training, questioning if I should give up, although I knew in my heart that this was the right step but that doubt song in my head just wouldn’t quit.

Then I arrived at the door of my first birth doula training, took a deep breath, and opened the door…and it was the one of best decision I have made so far!

Who knew that the 20+ women in that room would become my personal doulas? Providing support, easing my doubt, reassuring that I wasn’t alone in how I was feeling. We laughed and cried as we shared our stories and personal journeys – no two stories exactly the same, but each woven with an invisible thread that connected us all together.

Talk about oxytocin overload!

That day the recurring song of doubt transformed into a song of empowerment! I was reminded of the power of women, the power of community and that simply holding a hand makes a world of difference. 

So now anytime that song of doubt pops up, I will think back to these moments, turn up the volume of my favorite Beyonce song, and lean into that next step. Look out world, another group of amazing doulas are here to change the world, one step at a time!

Ariel de Roche is a DONA-trained birth doula based in New York City. Growing up in a large tight-knit family, she has always been surrounded with pregnant bellies and tiny humans which has greatly informed her profound passion for sexual and reproductive health research, and advocacy. Through birthwork, she seeks to continue to empower and encourage all women, in all ways.

 

 

Turn your doubt into empowerment and  join the circle of doulas at an Upcoming Doula Workshop

Why I am a Doula (or The Journey of One Superhero)

Submitted by Amy Neuhedel

Reflections on Eat Pray Doul Bali

My daughter is a supeAmys-Bali-Princessarhero. She goes by the alias ”Super Ruby Princessa” which has a touch of her Swedish/American bilingualism in the name. I think often about my daughter’s curly blonde hair (maternal grandma’s), her blue eyes (paternal grandfather’s), her oh-so-tannable skin (maternal grandpa’s) and so on. But I’ve only recently discovered the lineage of her super-heroine powers. She got this from me! Her Mom! I’m a superhero.

Doulas are peacemakers, miracle workers, superheros. Just our very presence in the world, make the world a safer, more peaceful place. So we are a lot like Wonder Woman.

So, why I am I a doula? Well, for no less greater cause than saving the world.

TheCord-blogimage-ep2You may need to be a little familiar with 70′s American Saturday morning TV (or Marvel comic books) to get this metaphor, but Eat, Pray, Doula in Bali, was a lot like a gathering of the Justice League in a tropical place with organic, locally produced food and homemade ice-cream. Debra Pascali-Bonero, Katherine Bramhall, and Ibu Robin Lim, the more seasoned Super-heros lending some expertise to us novice, very enthusiastic, but perhaps not-quite-in-total-control-of-our-powers yet newbies on the Superhero scene.

Screen Shot 2013-03-22 at 2.19.37 PM”Holy Bat Doula, Robin!”

Yes, to take the metaphor further, there is in fact a bat doula and Debra (or Bat Girl???) will tell you all about it at the Eat, Pray, Doula Workshop.

Actually, it’s Katherine who drives a moped…perhaps she is Bat Girl!?

And the fact is, Ibu Robin’s name is Robin…a coincidence? I think not!

On one of first adventures together, the newly initiated – myself and my three Wonder Twins (so we are Wonder Quadruplets in this case), Anita, Chrissy, and Alison find ourselves in the parallel universe of Bumi Sehat Birthing Clinic on Nyepi, the Balinese New Year – the Day of Silence. No one, not even a superhero, may be in the streets on Nyepi or else the evil spirits (think Legion of Doom) will make life on Bali really difficult the following year and none of us are willing to take that chance. Besides some super doulas must be at the clinic if any birthing moms show up (birthing moms on the back of mopeds are invisible to the evil spirits).

One DSC04254such mom shows up:

Anita Wonder Twin and 1st Doula-on-call: Form of loving, creative, continuous, non-tiring support for mama!

Chrissy Wonder Twin: Shape of water bucket!

Alison Wonder Twin: Form of hot water!

Amy Wonder Twin: Shape of  water transport!

Success – in short, we harness our powers, dodge the Legion of Doom, and Anita doulas a gentle birth. One more step toward saving the world!

IMG_2849I thank my children and all my super doula sisters from Eat, Pray, Doula 2012 (especially Katherine, Debra and Robin) for inspiring and guiding me to focus my natural superhero qualities in such a meaningful way. And thanks to Anita for the super Bamboo clothing tip. Note to self: Synthetics+Tropics=Bad.

Love you all! And love to all future EPD attendees.

Eat, Pray, Doula –

Building peace, one Mother, one Baby at a time.

Amy is a doula and practices hypnobirthing in Sweden. Read her birth story of baby Henry on #obirth or visit her at www.amyneuhedel.com/thecord.

Nikia Debates Breastmilk vs Coconut Water

Submitted by Nikia Lawson

DSCF7333Recently I attended the Eat Pray Doula, DONA approved Birth Doula Training in Ubud, Bali facilitated by Katherine Bramhall, Debra Pascali-Bonaro, and Robin Lim. This week-long training included birth doula education, postpartum care, childbirth education and breastfeeding support. The skills to become an effective birth doula were definitely the goal of the training, but what I was not prepared for was the adventure of sisterhood and connection that would happen in merely a week.

This trip to Bail, Indonesia was filled with “firsts”: my 1st international flight, my 1st time using a passport, my 1st time walking through a “monkey forest” and my 1st time being on a global stage talking about the benefits of breast milk! Yes, the latter was a 1st for me and I have had many opportunities to share the benefits of breast milk in various settings.

Nikia spirit festOn March 22 several of the EPD birth keepers and I attended the 7th Annual Bali Spirit festival. When we arrived, we settled in to watch the local entertainers.  When they finished performing, the crew began setting up for the next performers. To pass time, the MC came to the on stage and began to share some “interesting facts.” He began his chatter with a statement about kids and parents and eye color….interesting, but nothing mind-blowing. Then the gavel landed and he stated his fact that coconut water had the same ingredients as breast milk minus one thing….breast milk contained magnesium!  I gasped! The other birth keepers gasped! We immediately went into a frenzy telling everyone around us that that was not accurate information that that there is absolutely no comparison of breast milk and coconut water in terms of beneficial properties to a baby’s needs and development!

DSCF7407I quickly ran toward the stage and engaged him in a dialogue about how making a statement, as a fact, could have grave ramifications on the efforts to get indigenous women to breastfeed. If women feel that breast milk and coconut water are equivalents, then they may feel no NEED to BREASTFEED! They could simply contend with coconut water, which is in abundance in Bali. Also, I shared two (2) KEY/ESSENTIAL ingredients that are in breast milk that could NEVER be in coconut water. We exchanged some relevant conversation and he asked me if I would like to grace the stage and share the FACTS about breast milk that I had so enlightened him on.

After that exchange, I was introduced and I ran on the stage to share my knowledge about breast milk. Here are the 2 life-changing ingredients that I shared with him that urged him to take the stage and admit to the crowd, “I have been schooled by my friend Nikia…. and I stand corrected!”

DSCF7359First, breast milk contains antibodies. Any foreign object that has ever been in mom’s blood stream OR any bacteria or virus that she’s ever been exposed to, her blood and plasma cells created antibodies to neutralize them. Thus, those antibodies are present in breast milk and colostrum. Babies that get mother’s milk, get their 1st immunization to help build a healthy immune system and strengthen their sensitive little digestive systems with enzymes and antibodies to fight infection and bacteria. Second, breast milk contains human stems cells. These stem cells are life-saving; and, can possibly repair damaged, little organs due to the replication of the stem cells to build tissue and new cells. Human embryonic stem cells are very widely studied for their limitless regenerative properties and the ability to have specialized function in the new cells they produce.

Well, since coconuts are not human and do not have a blood stream, these are 2 very distinct and useful properties (not to mention that there are hundreds of other ingredients with benefits in breast milk that have yet to be identified) contained in breast milk that can never be in coconut water.

I finished my enlightenment opportunity with a lively chant: THE BREAST IS BEST! THE BREAST IS BEST! Empower the women in your life to breastfeed, because coconut water just won’t do it!

Learn how you can join the magic in Bali for Doula or Advanced Birthworker Workshop at Eat Pray Doula!

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Biography: Nikia Lawson is the owner/operator of Birth Blessings Professional Birth and Doula Services, owner/Project Director of The Natural Way Birthing Project ~ Ft. Worth, and managing partner of Tarrant County Doula Associates. Nikia’s goal is to empower women to know that they are divinely designed to give birth; to learn to trust their bodies and listen to their inner spirit as they embark on their birth journey.

Nikia is a DONA birth doula, a 2010 DONA International Doula of Color Fellow and a DONA International approved, birth doula trainer and is an experienced childbirth educator and has taught classes for various community groups and hospitals since 2007. Nikia hopes to return to school complete her post graduate studies in Naturopathy and open her own maternity home for pregnant women.

Learn how you can join the magic in Bali at Eat Pray Doula!