Doulas can have a challenging job and networking is vital to a positive imagine throughout the community.  Speak up for the families, and you're bound to get some negative perspectives on your work in the birth industry, depending on the perspectives of the birth professionals where you work.  Lay low and you may not be meeting the needs of the family's that really need your empowered educated voice.  Remember in most births, even if your job scopes and perspectives differ - the family is hiring all the professionals involved to be in their birth space.  Acknowledging their choice and respecting the differences of birth experiences is empowering to the doula industry.  Here are five ways doulas say thanks for positive networking in the birth industry.

Doulas Say Thanks with Thank You Cards

Recently attended a birth?  Send a quick note to the provider that you worked alongside during the birth.  Tell them you appreciate their willingness to receive you in their work environment.  If there is something really specific that made your job more enjoyable, mention this.  If there is something interesting about the way they work with the family, make that known.  Build up their strong points with praise and let them know you respect their position in the family's journey to parenthood.

Doulas Say Thanks with Goodies

Some thank you gestures from doulas happen during the birth.  Bring a bag of fruit, healthy snacks or even a box of donuts and cookies to the staff at the birth facility.  Nurses will be working with the doulas more than many care providers, and showing them your appreciation can go a long way for positive experiences for families. Bringing a healthy snack or a little sugar pick me up now and then can bring a smile to the face that might be at the end of a long week of long shifts.

Doulas Say Thanks During the Holidays

A holiday card can make a wonderful addition to a provider's holiday wall - whether it is National Day of the Midwife, Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Valentine's Day.  A handwritten card portrays thought and energy spent - not just a gesture of marketing.  Send a quick note to the teams you're working with and just say hello.  Keeping your image in front of them let's them know you exist and keeps your name fresh on their minds.

Doulas Say Thanks to the Family

Don't forget the families you serve.  Thank the families for allowing you to be a part of one of the most transformative times in their lives.  What an impact a doula has on the future of the family.  This doesn't have to be a gift - though a pot of soup during a postpartum visit or a dozen eggs when the chickens are laying can be a kind gesture.  An e-mail, a phone call, a message, a birthday card and checking in after a few weeks of the birth.  Think about what each family needs individually that you are able to provide and share.

Doulas Say Thanks with Empathy

Understand that your job scope differs from all those around you.  A doula is not a nurse, not a care provider, not a midwife, not an obstetrician.  You have been requested into the birth space for your perspective, experience, and differing job scope - along with everyone else.  Be empathetic to not only the job scope of others, but why they have chosen that profession and ultimately each individual has the same goal - even if the approach is different.  Remember the journey of each individual and know that one experience can result in many varied paths.  A quick thank you as you're leaving the birth can mean the world to someone that might be just as tired and have more bosses to please than a doula.  Building these relationships now can improve birth choices for families later.

 

What is your favorite way to show appreciation for the other birth professionals in your area that you work with?