The Virginia Doulas Association is forming!
The Virginia Doulas Association is something I have been contemplating for awhile now. It has occured to me that the Commonwealth has no professional organization for doulas. We have Birth Matters Virginia, which is a wonderful organization seeking to improve birth for mothers and babies. We also have the Commonwealth Midwives Alliance for the midwives of Virginia. My observation is that there are many politics surrounding birth everywhere, but especially in Virginia, with the recent licensure of CPMs in 2006. It is a sad reality that the birth community is divided. And it is mothers and babies that are affected most profoundly by this division and the inability to work together.
My vision is "working together for better birth." Working together with each other, working together with clients, working together with midwives, working together with doctors and nurses. Doulas are in a unique position to build bridges. As a nurse and a doula, this has been a hallmark of my practice.
I would like VDA to transcend politics and serve as a support system for doulas, raise awareness and the professional identity of doulas throughout the state, and build bridges with all maternity care providers without polarizing anyone or taking sides. An integrative model of working together for better birth with mothers and babies at the center.
All doulas are welcome. Certified, not certified, lay doulas, doulas in training, and every kind of doula in between. VDA is here to unite, not divide.
For those interested in learning more about who I am, please visit my website http://www.birthways.com/
This blog will serve as a place for Virginia doulas to connect and become involved in the beginning stages of this organization.
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I am glad you have VDA has an online presence, even though I "jumped" the gun, so to speak! Sorry 'bout that!
ReplyDeleteI will do whatever you need me to for support of this association.
Thanks, Cassie!
Kelly Kravitz, CD (CBI)
That's okay Kelly. I love what you did with the Ning group! It is beautiful! I love it! I think you were probably creating it as I sent you the email. Anyway, I need to come out of my shell and get out there. I mailed the form for reservation of a corporate name with the VA State Corporation Commission this week. Yeah!!! So now we can proceed without worries about the organizational name. It feels like the ball is rolling. I'm hoping that this blog, the Ning group, and the facebook presence, will attract other VA doulas and we can put together a core group to move forward. I sent Janna an invite to the Ning group.
ReplyDeleteTalk to you soon Kelly!
What's an Ning group? I'm so glad that you started VDA Cassandra! We are so divided in Richmond. The very things that are supposed to unite us are dividing us up. You may also want to mention the free website for doulas to list their profiles and schedules. doulamatch.net.
ReplyDeleteWhat are we going to work on first?!
What in particular has created a division due to licensure of CPMs? Just trying to learn more. Tammi
ReplyDeleteThis was in reference to the doulas here. You know, the old ALACE vs. DONA bit. But there is also division between CNMs and CPMs.
ReplyDeleteHi vbacmom and Tammi... I'm so sorry I just realized I had comments for this post! Yes I have talked to a few people in Richmond and have become aware that the doulas are divided there. This makes me very sad. We need to transcend our differences and find a way to work together. We are all working for the same things and everyone's perspectives are valid. Tammi, in my experience there are a lot of politics around CNMs and CPMs and home birth/hospital birth... That is something that I have dealt with from many angles and is one of the biggest factors in my decision not to become a midwife. So, it made me really sad to find out the the doulas are divided also.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to help you get this going! I'm a doula who aspires for more and hoping to move down to the Richmond area in the next couple of years and build my business there!!
ReplyDelete