This is a series highlighting folks who identify as Radical Doulas. Are you interested in being part of the series? Email me.
Alison (Ali) Ojanen-Goldsmith is the Lead Coordinator of Full Spectrum Doulas in Seattle, WA where she is working to expand the doula model of care to people experiencing the full spectrum of pregnancy outcomes, including abortion and adoption. She also owns and operates Healthy Family, Healthy World and provides a range of services that support and advocate for healthy women, families and communities including eco-healthy postpartum doula services. Prior to moving to Seattle and expanding her scope and impact to the grassroots level, she served as Programs and Policy Associate at Reproductive Health Technologies Project (RHTP) in Washington, DC and as a public policy researcher for NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin.
What inspired you to become a doula?
I became a full spectrum doula to provide unwavering, nonjudgmental and hands-on support to women through all of their reproductive decisions, whether that be birthing at home, having an abortion or providing a child through surrogacy or adoption and every circumstance in between. A broader goal of my doula work is to empower women to trust in themselves and each other and to develop their own sense of what it means to be a women’s health advocate.
What is your doula philosophy and how does it fit into your broader political beliefs?
I believe that with knowledge, empowerment and natural intuition women are the ones that make the best decisions for themselves. It is imperative that our voices be heard, especially in the predominantly patriarchal medical environments in which most women face making their reproductive decisions.
As a reproductive justice advocate, I work to challenge and change the systems of power that continue to subjugate women and deny them the social, economic, cultural and educational opportunities to fully realize their reproductive goals. Through my doula work, I hope to contribute to this change from the bottom up by supporting and empowering one woman at a time.
What is your favorite thing about being a doula?
I love being a part of the amazing space between a woman and her doula- the intense cooperation, respect and trust that is created. It is such a privilege to share in a woman’s most sacred thoughts and feelings about herself and her world and to help create a nurturing, supportive experience.
If you could change one thing about birth in the US, what would it be?
Part of my goal as a full spectrum doula is to work towards demedicalizing healthy women’s reproductive experiences, including birth, menstruation, abortion, and menopause. Women should be able to access (both physically and financially) medical interventions for these experiences if they want and need them, but the medical model should not represent the entirety of options for healthy women and their bodies. As a population, we need to embrace a healthier, more holistic and woman-empowered model for women’s reproductive health care.
If you live in Seattle and surrounding areas and are interested in being part of the Full Spectrum Doula movement (no experience necessary!), please contact Ali at fullspectrumdoula@gmail.com.
Bravo!