Blog
We know doulas. As a leader in the doula field for over 25 years, DONA International is your trusted authority for evidence-based information and resources for the doula profession.
From families considering hiring a doula to the thousands of doulas worldwide who support them, so many people want to learn more about doulas. Here on the blog, we provide evidence-based information specifically for professional doulas and the families we serve. Doulas play a unique role in the lives of the families we support and need specialized resources to grow and thrive as professionals. Stay up to date and informed with the organization that put doulas on the map!
Doula Me This #3 – Should I Stay or Should I Go?
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE Today is the third post in the occasional series, “Doula Me This!” Each post in the series provides a common scenario that a birth or postpartum (or both) doula may face. The “correct” answer (if there is one)...
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DONA Supports Black Maternal Health Week 2018
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE The first ever Black Maternal Health Week begins today in the United States. Black parents and babies face significantly increased maternal mortality and morbidity compared to their white counterparts. The goal...
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Seven Ways the DONA Website Helps You Be a Better Doula!
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE The DONA website is a great resource The DONA International website was redesigned about 18 months ago and shared with DONA members and the public at the 2016 DONA International conference in Bellevue, WA. At...
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New DONA International Training to Add Canine Labor Support to Your Doula Practice
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), WOOF(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE Are you a doula looking to add a skill to your current doula skillset? DONA International is pleased to offer a groundbreaking continuing education opportunity that you can take back to your doula...
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DONA Partners with March for Moms to Advocate for Families
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE When doulas are working one on one with their clients, whether during pregnancy, birth or postpartum, the doula's role is one of helping families to find their voice, build their confidence and respect their...
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World Doula Week 2018 – “Doulas Make It Happen”
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE Today begins the 8th Annual observance of World Doula Week. World Doula Week is celebrated every year March 22- March 28, and corresponds to the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. Initially founded by...
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Do Doulas Need to Follow HIPAA & What You Should Know about Client Confidentiality!
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA - Not HIPPA!) became a law in 1996 by a sweeping vote of Congress. You can read more about what this law does (and does not do) here in this great...
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DONA International Recognizes the Contributions of the Amazing T. Berry Brazelton, MD
By Ann Grauer, AdvCD/AdvPD(DONA), BDT/PDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, IBCLC T. Berry Brazelton, known as "America’s Pediatrician" died Tuesday, March 13 at his daughter’s home outside Boston, MA. Dr. Brazelton was just shy of his 100th birthday and his passing marked the end...
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The Global Doula – New Series on Doulaing around the World
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE DONA International is truly an international organization in every way. Our membership is over 5,000 members strong and represents more than 56 countries around the world. Our birth and postpartum trainers...
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Lend Me Your Ear! Expert Tips on Podcasting from Doulas Who Do!
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE I read a fascinating article in The New York Times recently that started me thinking about all the blogging I do. "Welcoming to the Post-Text Future" was about how the printed word (online or on paper) is...
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Book Review: Battling Over Birth: Black Women and the Maternal Health Care Crisis
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE Today in the United States is the last day of Black History Month 2018. The end of this annual reflective month does not mean that the issue of Black parents dying four times more frequently than their white...
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A Membership with Benefits: #DONAProud
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE DONA International was founded 26 years ago by five of the most amazing people! Dr. John H. Kennell, Dr. Marshall Klaus, Annie Kennedy, Penny Simkin, and Phyllis Klaus sat down and established the organization...
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Advocacy at Work: Doulas Working with Incarcerated Pregnant People
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE In Olympia, Washington, state representatives serving in the Washington State House of Representatives during the new 2018 legislative session found themselves voting on a potential new law that would mandate...
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Do You Know What Reduces the Cesarean Rate? Birth Doulas Reduce the Cesarean Rate!
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE A new study, well, the abstract at least, the ARRIVE Trial, was released on February 1, 2018. The study findings indicated that healthy low-risk pregnant people who were induced at 39 weeks of pregnancy had...
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DONA Honors Black History Month 2018 – With Some Exceptional Doulas
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE February is Black History Month, and we celebrate the contributions of African Americans and recognize their impact in the world. The issues of increased health disparities and poor birth outcomes for Black...
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Five Reasons NOT to “Warm Chat” a Potential Client – and What to Do Instead
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE I totally understand the excitement and desire to be a successful and busy (as busy as you want to be) birth or postpartum doula. I distinctly remember my first year or so as I began to build my business. I had...
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Learning Doula Skills with the Aid of Virtual Reality?
By, Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE I subscribe to what seems like a million blogs, newsletters and Google alerts focused on a variety of topics pertaining to my work as a birth professional. A recent article found its way in front of my eyes...
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Meet Ana Paula Markel – DONA International’s New Board President
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE I would like to introduce you to Ana Paula Markel, DONA International's President of the Board of Directors. Ana Paula began her term with the new year and I was excited to have the opportunity to ask some...
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