What's Our Doula Business "Philosophy?"
Theres been a lot of talk about what the philosophies of our business and the way we operate with clients and with our own doulas looks like.
I wanted to take a moment to celebrate our philosophy here at Maryland State Doulas, and to help clients, potential team members and other members of the birth and baby community understand our commitment to the world of babies!
To do so, I'd like to describe a visit I had with a client.
Today I met with a postpartum mother who I had supported during her birth. She had so many questions for me, having just returned from her well visit with the pediatrician. Was baby nursing efficiently? Did her latch look good enough? What's a great brand of burp cloths?
Finally, the question that she was obviously MOST nervous to ask came about: was it okay, that now that she’s starting to develop a good breastmilk supply, for her to begin bottle feeding formula and also nursing her baby in order to prepare her to go back to work?
She quickly followed up this question with explanations - and justifications - of why she felt that she wanted to do this.
I put my hand on her shoulder.
I nodded. And smiled.
And I told her that she needed to do what was best for her family. That I was going to be there with resources and help her find the best way to transition to combination feeding. That it was absolutely wonderful, and I supported her decision.
I wish you could have seen. The way she sunk back into the couch, the slump of her exhausted, first-week-postpartum shoulders and the weight of the worry and judgment that fell off of that amazing, resilient postpartum mother today on that couch.
The joy that the news that all she had to do was make HER best decisions for her family; that she didn’t have to have everything figured out, and that we would be there to support HER and HER choices.
That’s our client philosophy. We are present, supportive and affirmative for families as they search for knowledge to prepare them for their birth, pregnancy and postpartum expectations. When they have feelings about exploring other ideas or options, we are there. We guide them towards the information they seek and smile and exclaim when they find a choice that feels best for them. We listen and hold and cry when things are hard, and we help.
This client sought us out because she was drawn to this. This fact that we would be on board with her choice for an epidural. That we'd be there for as long as she wanted support, from as soon as she needed it. Who would be there, and the team behind them. She was thrilled that we are easy to communicate with, easy to contact, have systems in place for care.
"Wow! Thanks for your quick response!" is something we're used to hearing at MSD, because we strive to make every family understand that we are just as excited for their contact and questions as they are in reaching out for answers to them, whether it's to meet a doula, inquire about services or ask for assistance in labor or postpartum.
Because of our team model, when families are truly struggling in the postpartum period, we can confidently help them with unpredicted shifts that need coverage, overnight visits and more, because with more than one set of helping hands, we're prepared for the things you can't prepare for.
So, what’s our philosophy for supporting our amazing team of doulas and birth workers?
It’s exactly the same.
It’s the sigh of relief I can hear from a doula who can take clients and still be present for her family. That she can work in a team model and confidently support her clients while still being present at home. Her clients receive all of her care when she is away, because she’s paid a living wage that allows her to devote her entire heart and passion to her job, so she isn’t overbooked or stretched so thin that some of her clients aren’t able to benefit from her heart and knowledge that she so passionately gives to each and every one of her clients.
It’s the ability to sustain and train our team when they wish to expand their service offerings, or to remain current and up to date on the practices that our clients and community seek.
Here at MSD, we are a family. The foundations of support hold each other up, allow us to work together and thrive while we help families thrive.
That’s it! Nothing further, nothing that boxes us into any corner, except that of collaboration, teamwork, and unconditional support of all journeys, walks of life and ages and stages of each individual family’s parenting journey.
Are you ready to benefit from our family and join as either a client or a team member? Reach out to us.
We’ll welcome you with open arms, and remind you that we’re also real, imperfect people. Our mistakes and our trials and lessons learned from parenting and from working with families allow us to help you let your guard down and be your true selves. It’s one of the things that truly sets us apart, and what draws in those wishing to benefit from its warm embrace.
That’s the Maryland State Doulas philosophy. And it's never changing.
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