Blog / About Doulas
Want to learn more about the role and services of birth and postpartum doulas? You’ve come to the right place!
DONA International has been a trusted resource for information about the doula profession for over 25 years. Whether you are a family considering hiring a doula, want to be come a doula or are a care provider working with doulas — these articles provide information about what a doula does and how we support families. Doulas make a difference!
Lights, Camera, Action – Doulas Doulaing!
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE Where have I been the past two years? Under a rock? How did I just discover Romper's The Doula Diaries video series? Somehow, these short (typically less than ten minutes) vignettes profiling a doula as they...
The Sweet Relief of Being Off Call
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE I have been a birth doula for 15 years. Like many of you, I jumped right in after training and soon found myself fairly busy. At my prime, I would regularly attend as many as 45 plus births a year for my own...
DONA International Certifies Their 13,000th Doula!
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE There are many reasons that I am proud to be a DONA certified doula. DONA's history, the vision of the five founders, our organization's mission and vision, and the longevity and adaptability of the...
Did Your Client Birth Prematurely? Nine Tips to Help You Help Them!
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE November is Prematurity Awareness Month. November 17 will be recognized around the globe as the fourth annual World Prematurity Day. More information on this day is available here. According to the March of...
How a Doula Helps Clients to Receive Respectful Care
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE Research indicates that between one-quarter to one-third of birthing people describe their labor and birth experience as traumatic. Lived experiences or a traumatic previous birth experience may all contribute...
Is Attending an Unassisted Birth within DONA International’s Scope of Practice?
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE Last week's Doula Me This! post asked birth doulas to consider what they would do if a contracted client shared that they were now planning an unassisted birth. Many doulas responded on social media and/or the...
Series: Doula Me This #5 – Clients Are Planning an Unassisted Birth
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE Today is the fifth 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)...
California Parents Speak Up About Doulas! Results from Listening to Mothers in California Survey
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, LCE 2018 Listening to Mothers in California survey results were released earlier this month and the information shared is immensely interesting. This is the first Listening to Mothers survey done on a state level...
Meet The DONA 2019 Board Candidates and Get Ready to Vote!
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, LCE DONA International is the world's premier doula organization and relies on the person power and skills of many, many volunteers to keep it running effectively. Our organization is led by an all volunteer board...
Let’s Meet DONA International’s 2018 Advanced Doulas
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE This summer, DONA International awarded three doulas the credential of "Advanced Doula." This certification level was initiated in 2015, and the designation honors DONA certified birth and postpartum doulas who...
The Black Infant Remembrance Memorial – A Valuable Resource for Your Families
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE You cannot live in the United States and be unaware of the health inequities that face Black families here in this country. Every single major news outlet has been covering this tragic situation with increasing...
Research Review: Bearing witness: United States and Canadian maternity support workers’ observations of disrespectful care in childbirth
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE A new research paper, Bearing witness: United States and Canadian maternity support workers’ observations of disrespectful care in childbirth, was recently published in the journal Birth. Written by Christine...
World Breastfeeding Week 2018 – Doulas Play a Key Role
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE August 1 - 7, 2018 is World Breastfeeding Week and doulas are on the front lines of helping families get breastfeeding off to a good start. Every year, World Breastfeeding Week has a specific theme, and the...
It Was Big! In-Person DONA Summit 2018 Wrap Up
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE I have just returned from the in-person DONA Summit 2018 and have been thinking and thinking (and thinking) about this Summit follow up post and what I exactly wanted to say. I have so many emotions and...
Secrets to Summit Success – Tips for Making the Most Out of a DONA Conference
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE The DONA International 2018 Summit is T minus less than 24 hours 'til the start and doulas and other birth professionals are arriving in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from all around the world. The line up of...
Five Tips for Enjoying Your Summer While Being an On-Call Doula
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE Here I sit in the real summer heat of Seattle. In general, Seattle has beautiful summers consisting of blue skies, a lot of sun, no humidity, long periods of daylight and no bugs. Temps run in the mid-70s and...
What Do We Want? Doulas! When Do We Want Them? Now!
By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE A Blueprint for Advancing High-Value Maternity Care Through Physiologic Childbearing, authored by 17 leading maternity experts and released on June 28, 2018, by the National Partnership for Women &...
6 Pro Tips to Make Your Birth Doula Certification Packet Shine!
By Jenn Fontaine, LCCE, FACCE, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), PCD(DONA) CLC, CHBE, WSGB Instructor Today's post is written by my friend and colleague Jenn Fontaine. Jenn is a birth doula certification packet reviewer extraordinaire. Jenn has reviewed and certified over 450...