This is a series highlighting folks who identify as Radical Doulas. Are you interested in being part of the series? Email me.

About Brandi:

I have spent my life around children and families, as a nanny, a daycare provider, and friend. I decided to go down the path of becoming a Doula because I feel that the birth of a child is a truly magical and wonderful process that should be celebrated and enjoyed. I wanted to offer my strength and wisdom to those who need and want it. My Site http://www.birthingservice.com and email Brandi@birthingservice.com.

What inspired you to become a doula?

In all my work with children and families it seemed the common emotion that kept coming up was how stressful, crazy and out of control the moms felt in labor, I wanted to find a way to help. Then i discovered DONA and started my path.

Why do you identify with the term radical doula?

Because I do things differently than most, I came from a very birth positive place in Oregon to a very medical birth place in Iowa and I still want to maintain the care and respect that all mothers deserve.

What is your doula philosophy and how does it fit into your broader political beliefs?

I believe that a woman should be able to birth where ever she chooses, when ever she chooses, and with whom she chooses. Birth is magical and wonderful, and as a doula it is my goal to help establish and keep that positive energy.

What is your favorite thing about being a doula?

The emotional aspect, the range of motions a woman feels during the processes of pregnancy, labor, and birth is truly amazing.

If you could change one thing about birth in the US, what would it be?

I would make birth in the US, more family centric, the family the father and mother should be free to do there own thing and have all the support they need to achieve their wishes.

This is a series highlighting folks who identify as Radical Doulas. Are you interested in being part of the series? Email me.

Kristen Treat, is a childbirth educator, labor doula and postpartum support. In addition to her birth work she is also a certified school counselor and an adjunct graduate professor. She is active with the local La Leche League and works to empower all women to birth on their own terms. She is the mother of three children, three year old twin boys and a one year old daughter. She is known locally as the ‘Baby Lady’ a running joke that evolved into her business name ‘The Omaha Baby Lady.’

http://www.omahababylady.com

http://www.facebook.com/omahadoula

twitter @omahababylady

What inspired you to become a doula?

I was first a scared pregnant mama. I was terrified of birth and scared that my twin pregnancy would result in disaster. Therefore I was grateful my doctor suggested a cesarean birth. Two years later after much soul searching and research I chose another path for the birth of my daughter. After my empowering natural VBAC I knew need a way to harnass my newfound passion for birth. I began teaching childbirth classes and was saddened by how some of my students were being treated or worse that some couldn’t find a doula based on their birth situations and decided that no matter what every women deserved the right to have the birth of her choice and I was going to support her!

Why do you identify with the term radical doula?

In many ways I don’t think how I doula is all that radical. I simply support all women in the birth of their choice, with the partner of their choice, in the place of their choice. If a woman is giving birth, I will support her, period.

I often hear from clients that other doulas refused to work with them due to their doctor, their birth history, their sexual orientation, religious beliefs etc. I guess what makes me ‘radical’ is I simply cannot imagine ever telling a woman that she doesn’t deserve my support in her birth.

What is your doula philosophy and how does it fit into your broader political beliefs?

As a doula I believe that every woman has the right to birth in whatever manner she wants. She should have the rights to make her own choices not encumbered by scare tactics, while being presented with evidence based information to help give her information to make these choices. Whatever choices she makes are hers to make and they deserve to be supported. Politically I support the right of a woman to give birth where ever and with whomever she chooses, I do not believe the state has any role in a women’s birth issues.

What is your favorite thing about being a doula?

Hearing that moment of empowerment in a woman as she truly realizes that not only can she do it, but that she IS doing it and that soon her baby will be in her arms. That moment is a true life changing moment in that woman’s life and to get to glimpse it is just magic.

If you could change one thing about birth in the US, what would it be?

Just one? That every woman in America had a doula, serving as an advocate to help navigate the murky waters of maternity care and help be their guide during the prenatal stages setting the stage for their personal best birth.

I first met Marianne at a conference a few years back in Western Massachusetts. Her work as a doula with incarcerated folks and her all-around radical politics have been an inspiration to me since then! I’m so happy to be highlighting her as part of this series.

This is a series highlighting folks who identify as Radical Doulas. Are you interested in being part of the series? Email me.

Marianne Bullock is a mama to a wild 3 year old, doula and student who lives in Western Mass. She is Lead Doula with The Prison Birth Project providing full spectrum doula care. The Prison Birth Project is an organization focused on reproductive justice, working to provide support, education and advocacy with women and girls at the intersection of the criminal justice and motherhood. She has been a practicing doula for over 7 years and is currently pursuing a degree in Social Justice & Environmental Studies at a local college.

What inspired you to become a doula?

When I was 18 a good friend of mine got pregnant and decided to have the baby, most of my teen years had focused on supporting my friends through their decisions to NOT be pregnant-I was the friend who would always get the call looking for what the options were and often would be the one at the clinic supporting a friend through an abortion. So this was a totally different angle that I had never considered. I was there when she pushed her baby out in her living room and it totally blew me away, I couldn’t believe that was what birth REALLY looked like, not all the media images I had been brought up on.

What is your doula philosophy and how does it fit into your broader political beliefs?

I believe that all people have the right to family creation, bodily integrity and informed consent. I think being a Doula goes hand in hand with these beliefs, Im able to be an ally and an advocate as well as make really amazing friends . As a reproductive justice activist and feminist I thought I understood many of the intersections and dimensions of barriers that women and mothers face, then I got pregnant at a young(er) age (21) and quickly saw how fast those walls go up and the access gets closed down. Having support throughout the process of becoming a parent made all the difference in my life, and I believe that being a doula is a great balance of praxis for me.

What do you like most about being a doula?

Right now I work with an amazing organization I helped to start “The Prison Birth Project” I most enjoy the movement building work that I get to do behind the wall, basic political/reproductive justice education… and when it comes down to it I really just enjoy sitting around and watching birth videos with a bunch of pregnant people.

If you could change one thing about birth in the US, what would it be?

Ugh one? OK if I could change just one concrete thing, it would be that Midwifery (CPM/LPM) would be legal and recognized by all health insurance in every state. Im really so sick of my friends who don’t have access to money having their babies in hospitals when they don’t need to or want to.