Welcome to the UWMC DoulaCare Blog!
You might be wondering who we are and what we are all about! We are a volunteer doula
program within Volunteer Services at the University of Washington
Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. Our doulas all complete DONA
approved doula courses before beginning the application process. Then
they go through a thorough screening, interviewing and orientation
process in addition to everything they need to become compliant with the
UWMC Volunteer Services. Our doulas read seminal texts in the doula
profession, including The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin.
How do doulas connect with the women and families of UWMC? Doulas sign
up for specific shifts and they care for any woman who requests their
services during that shift until the woman gives birth. This system
permits doulas to sign up for shifts that they are available for and
have 12-24 hours of a window after the shift in case their doula
services are needed. Additionally, it permits multiple doulas to sign up
in a 24 hour period and provides an element of continuity of care in a
shift based doula care system. We strive for 24/7 coverage by having an
on-call doula list for those times when a doula is not signed up for a
shift. Our doulas also serve women who are in antepartum and postpartum
who could benefit from the additional caring support of an UWMC
DoulaCare Doula.
The presence and contributions
of doulas to the emotional and physical needs of women during labor are
evidence-based to improve outcomes. Our doulas function as a part of
the care team, working with the mother, family, nurses, and providers to
enhance the woman's experience in antepartum, in labor or postpartum.
Our doulas have 24/7 support from the coordinators of the program if the
need for debriefing, consultation or advice arises.
Who are our doulas? We have an extensive array of individuals seeking to
participate in our program and serve the pregnant and birthing women of
UWMC. Many of our doulas aspire to become other health professionals
including nurses, physicians, midwives. Others join the fields of public
health and social work. Many other applicants have been doulas under
other circumstances but now their personal and/or professional lives do
not permit them to be on call 24 hours a day/7 days a week. The shift
based and on-call system permits them to contribute meaningfully to
birth work while attending to their educations, careers and families.
Several doulas come to build a foundation toward professional doula work
as they transition from their current professions. Regardless, our
doulas contribute immeasurably to the lives of the women and families
they serve while simultaneously gaining invaluable and unique
experiences.
The UWMC DoulaCare Coordinating Team
uwdoulas@gmail.com
Like us on facebook: UWMC Volunteer Doula Program
