Spring Sale on Doula Training with Lifespan Doulas ~ May Newsletter

April 30, 2023|Patty Brennan|Newsletters

Things my mom taught me …

How to stick up for myself. This was a double-edged sword. As kids, we learned not to complain to her about poor treatment by a business owner because she would MAKE us go back and demand our rights. Yikes. Nevertheless, a really helpful skill that I have put to good use.
She modeled what I now think of as self-care by attending daily Mass. How else is a mother of five kids born in seven years going to keep her priorities straight and carve out guilt-free time for soul nourishment?
The importance of a Saturday Night, dressing up, and keeping your marriage nurtured by going on a weekly date with your husband.
It’s okay to cry when you lose a friend, but you don’t have to do it alone. And it’s nothing to be ashamed of because “Saying goodbye to people we love is the hardest thing in life.”

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL!

Our Gift to You: Spring Sale on Doula Training (below)

SPRING SALE! Save 10% on your choice of doula training or training bundle

Sale starts TODAY and runs through May 8th. Eligible programs include:

Birth Doula Training (Save $70)
Postpartum Doula Training (Save $70)
End-of-Life Doula Training (Save $70)
Online Doula Business Guide Training (Scave $35)
Doula Business Builder Training Bundles (Save $90, $140 or $190, your choice!)

Use Coupon Code = Spring2023; new registrations only

End-of-Life Doulas ~ Articles & Resources

I’m a solo ager and I’ve hired a death doula. “I know I need support navigating the complexities of dying and I want to die on my own terms.”

Rethinking what it means to die well. After a patient is informed about their prognosis for life expectancy, integrative practitioner Amy Siple shares that it’s important to explain their options and ask the following questions about their goals and priorities, along with any fears surrounding death.

What do you understand about your diagnosis?
What concerns do you have about what lies ahead?
How do you want to spend your time if your health worsens?
Who do you want to make decisions for you?
How much are you willing to go through to have a shot at being alive and what is tolerable to you?

“I was my mom’s caregiver when she was terminal. I was shocked by what I didn’t know about dying.” A daughter’s story.

American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying. This organization is developing, improving, and supporting best practices for the care of patients considering or completing aid in dying.

“I do not give my consent for ____.”

Like all medical interventions, active management of third stage of labor carries both benefits and risks. The practice, designed to prevent hemorrhaging after the baby is born, involves three distinct actions that interfere with the normal birth process.

Administration of a drug that causes the uterus to contract immediately after the baby is born.
Severance of the umbilical cord before the baby has received his/her full blood volume (normal process is complete when the cord stops pulsating).
Traction is applied to the cord by the caregiver to speed delivery of the placenta.

The use of these interventions is increasingly being applied to all women birthing in U.S. hospitals, regardless of risk factors. The studies that provide the evidence base for this practice also note the risks associated with its use (including causing excess bleeding!), but very few providers share those risks with patients. Things happen fast after the baby is born and informed consent is not really part of the equation (though coercion is). Doulas can share the freshly updated PDF download linked above with clients so they can make an informed choice. If your client’s choice is not being honored, the words, “I don’t give my consent for [name the intervention]” should stop unwanted interference. Say it out loud with witnesses present.

Upcoming Webinar ~ Save the date and join us!

May 17 (Wednesday, 8-9pm EDT)
Fostering Agency in Times of Transition
With Dr. Tamara MacIntyre, CEOLD

A-gen-cy/: defined as the human capacity to determine and make meaning from the environment through purposeful, conscious, reflective, and creative action.

This webinar will discuss the role of the doula in fostering personal agency for our clients and families. During vulnerable times at the end of life, agency is too often compromised by conventional medicalized emphasis on quantity over quality. We will explore how we can assist our clients to exercise agency individually, by proxy, and in community. Emphasis will be placed on communication strategies to help clarify clients’ needs, wants, and wishes so that decisions are congruent with the core values they live by.

Tamara MacIntyre, certified end-of-life-doula, is also a chiropractor and doctor of functional medicine. Tamara is the co-founder of The PRANA Foundation where she offers education, mentorship, and retreat to others serving in health and healing professions. Tamara offers end-of-life education, individualized and small group care planning, and client advocacy. Learn more about Tamara’s services.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84528321476?pwd=R3A5YlNSZXdXNG1aeFA3TFJlM2x4dz09
Passcode: 737761
Or call: 720-707-2699 (Meeting ID: 845 2832 1476)

News & Resources for Birth & Postpartum Doulas

The state of Michigan is now reimbursing birth doulas $1050 for services to Medicaid eligible families. Get approved to support lower-income families in your community. Complete birth doula training with Lifespan Doulas and certify through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. How many other careers can you train for and then recoup more than your investment in training with your first client? All Michigan residents who have trained with Patty Brennan are eligible.

Birth Rape and the Doula. This blog post by doula trainer and author Amy Gilliland acknowledges that doulas are sometimes witness to trauma inflicted by medical care providers. She provides a balanced perspective and outlines strategies the doula can employ to prevent trauma and respond appropriately in an emergency.

Maternal death rates rose sharply in 2021 and the CDC should make it a priority to find out why. Researchers need access to all data on Covid-19 cases and vaccination for urgent epidemiologic evaluation of these disturbing trends.

The pregnancy risks of Ozempic and Wegovy need more attention. The drugs are linked to birth defects in animal studies. These popular new weight loss drugs, if taken at all, should be discontinued two months prior to conception.

Give Light is a new documentary about indigenous and traditional midwives around the world. You can watch for FREE for the next few weeks.

Patty Brennan

Patty is the owner and visionary force behind Lifespan Doulas. For 40+ years, she has been a doula, midwife, educator, author, nonprofit executive, and entrepreneur. Patty has personally trained over 3,000 people to become doulas. She is the author of The Doula Business Guide: How to Succeed as a Birth, Postpartum or End-of-Life Doula, 4th Edition, and accompanying Workbook.