Where do doulas fit into birthcare and the collaborative care team model that we envision as the standard in the future? Doulas are the space holders. If there is any role in the birthteam that is built around holding space, this is it!
So what can we learn about the unique qualifications doulas have to hold space and how that can extend and create a bridge for all members of the birth team? We have invited Traci Weafer, doula and educator with more than 2 decades of experience supporting birth in a variety of settings and roles, on to unpack holding space as a doula.
Traci Weafer, Doula 
Maggie Runyon, MSN, RNC-OB
Traci (she/her) is a space holder, Birth Doula, Childbirth Educator, extreme consume advocate, and a doula Birthroom Advocacy Trainer who lives in Montgomery, AL. Traci carries the deep conviction that everyone has worth and a fundamental right to be heard, to feel safe, and to be supported while on their journey through pregnancy and birth. Traci’s fundamental principle is Advocacy does not equal Animosity through conversations with empathy and compassion. You can follow Traci’s work on Instagram and Facebook.
In this episode we want to explore the question: is holding space antithetical to taking action as an advocate? Spoiler alert, no! So how does the role of a doula, a non-clinical birthworker weave these elements together?
Tune in to explore these topics:
~gaps in our current birth team relationships
~assumptions and biases from various birthworker roles that fuel animosity
~”scope of practice” and how that language impacts doula relationships
~biases around what makes a “good” or “bad” doula
~holding space for the birth, and not just the birthing person
~advocacy as an element of holding space
~improving hospital and community doula relations
~enacting the human elements of trauma-informed care
~moving past patriarchal roots in birthcare to earn trust
To connect more with Traci:
Visit her website and check out her Mentoring Membership for doulas to bring these skills of holding space, advocacy, and self-reflection into your practice as a birthworker.
Note the sign-up link!
Further resources for thinking about advocacy within birthwork:
~Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings. Their full spectrum doula training and their self-paced workshops offer tremendous resources for grounding your birthwork in advocacy.
~Mandy Irby, The Birth Nurse, has a ton of resources and courses available for thinking through advocacy in action from the nursing lens.
Check out this episode’s full transcript or tune in wherever you enjoy podcasts.
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Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Gonna Start” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)