Agenda
: an underlying often ideological plan
When it comes to working with families as doulas, an agenda is one thing that we should never have.
As a doula trainer, the core of what I teach doulas is non-judgmental support. Your doula’s personal philosophy or ideology towards birth has no place in the doula/client relationship. Here at Tucson Doulas, the same philosophy holds true.
When it comes to supporting you, your agenda is the only agenda that matters. Your goals, Your hopes. Your dreams for your birth. As doulas, it doesn’t matter what we might personally choose. This is your experience and our goal is to deliver 100% unconditional support.
Getting to Know You
Part of our process as labor doulas is learning about what your goals are for your birth. We do this via our pre-birth visits. As your doulas, it’s important to us to get to know where you are coming from as you approach your birth. During our pre-birth meetings, we want to know about you. Your hopes for your birth. Your fears. Where you feel you need more information. Where you feel you need the most support.
We want to have an open and client led discussion about your upcoming birth. We honor that each client is unique. Your needs will be shaped by your life experiences, level of education and your personal values and goals. Learning about your needs and goals is our top priority during our pre-birth visits. We tailor the information we provide and our discussions with your specific needs and circumstances. We focus on providing the information you identify as most important to you.
When providing postpartum support, the same approach applies. We want to understand your parenting and infant care goals. How you will care for your baby is also influenced by your personal life experiences, education level, and values and goals. During our first shift or a postpartum planning visit before your baby arrives, we want to learn about your approach to infant and self-care. This allows us to tailor our care to your specific needs and circumstances.
Ongoing Support Tailored to Your Needs
Once hired, your Tucson Doulas are an ongoing source of support and information. We are your walking, talking pregnancy, birth, and after-baby encyclopedia. Where you are in your journey will influence the questions or concerns that you may have.
When you are early on in your pregnancy, you’re likely not so focused on the delivery itself. However, you may have questions about how to handle recent fears of giving birth that has surfaced for you. Perhaps you may be facing an unexpected induction of labor. Or maybe you’re struggling with soreness after the birth of your baby. The support that your Tucson Doulas can provide to you spans the course of your pregnancy and extends well beyond the birth of your baby.
Our goal is to provide you with relevant, accurate, and up-to-date information based on your specific values and goals.
Not ours.
Our Trust in You
As your doulas, we trust you know what is best for you and your baby. We encourage you to contact your support team when you are uncertain or unclear. Your care provider, us as your doulas, and other trusted support networks. We are confident in your ability to make the decisions in your family’s best interest.
This is your birth, your baby, and your journey.
While we are here as your resource, we commit to providing you with support and information free from our personal biases. The only agenda we bring to your experience is yours. Our goal is to help you work towards your personal goals, realizing that they may shift and change over your journey.
As doulas, we are the experts in options. It is our greatest desire that you utilize us as a resource for information and support throughout your pregnancy and parenting journey.