Doula And Volunteer Are Not Synonymous

That’s it.

That’s the entire thing.

I don’t need to say more but I will and I’ll make it quick.

Somehow doulas have been portrayed volunteers.

Apparently we all sit cross legged and use singing bowls, burn incense, wear head wraps and maintain a plant based diet.

First of all, I’m too fat to sit cross legged these days. The friction my thighs can create would put a California wildfire to shame!

I’m not opposed to the singing bowls but I don’t use them.

Incense aren’t strong enough for me and do surgical caps count as head wraps or no?

As for the plant based diet; honey, listen. All the plants I eat come with a side of animal. Judge ya maw!

All that aside, though, doulas aren’t birth volunteers.

Sure, some may take the occasional pro bono case and that’s usually spirit led. But to assume that countless hours of accessibility from the time of hire to the last postpartum visit should be free or for less than what is normally asked is….plain crazy.

Doulas run a business, have business bills, personal bills and inventory to restock and that’s just a small portion of what has to be covered.

Furthermore, you don’t get to have the benefit of having a doula without a contract or a payment.

I tell my mentees all the time that a verbal confirmation without a contract or a payment is just a hypothetical situation.

You don’t get to “Can I ask you a quick question?” me to death in my DMs or after you’ve kept my number and we’ve had a consultation.

The bottom line is that this is heart work but it’s still hard work and everybody needs to be paid for their hard work.

Debate ya maw!

If you’re a birth worker, let me know how you feel in the comments!

✌🏾💜

Aeryka