Ana Paula Markel

I started the “Who BEcomes A Doula?” Series because I wanted know more about what compels a woman (or a man) to become a birth doula?

~Who is drawn to this work and what kind of work (or life) did they have before they became a birth doula?
~What makes them continue?
~Is there something about our personalities that leads us to find a way to connect with, care for and support women at that uniquely vulnerable and joyous time of birth?
~And for fun, some questions and photos that give us a glimpse into the moments and meanings in their lives.

For this project, I have chosen to interview doulas all over the world. Some are new to this work. Some are seasoned and ‘reasoned’ – my way of saying they have found what it takes to make this work sustainable – both professionally and personally. All of them inspire me in my own “heart’s work”, like…

 

 

How did you become a doula?

I became a doula after the birth of my third child. First VBAC.

During that pregnancy I took childbirth classes for the first time 🙂 and loved it so much that as soon as my baby was born I started to assist the instructor. Even though I considered myself educated, well traveled,,,, I had no idea where my cervix was or what it could do. I fell in love with my body, and pregnancy and even before being in labor ever I was already so transformed. I felt like I went from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. The instructor taught two classes, one in her beautiful home for couples with private insurance and one in a clinic where couples barely spoke English, most from Latin background. I assisted her in both and loved learning the same knowledge and passion delivered in different platforms but with same quality. Soon, couples from the clinic would start asking me to attend their births, not as a doula, but as a translator since I speak Portuguese, it is my native tongue and Spanish as well. With that experience, I fell more in love with the process of birth and also to learn the system. By the time I attended my doula training, I had already been to about 30 births as a volunteer.

What makes you continue?

The passion. The fire.
I have slowed down a bit… the amount of births and from time to time I will take time off from being on call and focus on other aspects of doulahood, or entepreneurship but I truly cannot stay away too long. It is not only the source of the fire for me, but attending births also helps me to know from the field what is happening in local hospitals, etc. I have to walk the walk and not only talk the talk.

5 words that best describe your journey as a doula:

Godly – because I love to not be in control and to surrender

Insane – because of the lifestyle of not knowing when you will leave and for how long

Humbling – because …. birth is humbling

Learning  – because you never know enough. The more you do the less you try to know

Stamina  – because I can go. I am an eveready bunny

Most surprising thing you ever took to/used at a birth:

one of my kids pillows was in a car once and I had to drive a woman to the hospital as her husband was filming in Canada and flying in… She went in the back seat and cuddle up to that toddler pillow like there was no tomorrow and she never let go of it for the rest of the labor… it probably had boogers on it!

 

Funniest thing you ever heard a laboring woman say: “.

Are you sure it is not going to come from the wrong hole?

 

If you could say only one thing at a birth to the laboring woman, what would it be?

Let’s be in the right now together

 

 

What is the most challenging thing about being a doula?

The unpredictability

 

What is the most rewarding part of being a doula for you?

To witness transformation in the parents whenever that happens. It could be in prenatals, during labor, transition, after the baby or postpartum. At some point, it humbles you, shifts you, changes you and when they get that, and surrender and then breakthroughs. I love love love that part

 

Your family would say about you…
I am the good kind of crazy

When you are not a birth, where are we mostly to find you?
At Bini,  at the hospital, or at church or home.

Doing what?
At Bini…teaching, at the hospital…consulting, at church/home…praying or cooking

I would say you would also be doing some work for DONA International …. 

To recharge your BEing, you…What book are you reading now?

I go to church and surrender myself at worship, it is the best feeling ever. To empty the negative and refill with hope, energy, enthusiasm

I am reading a book called Sisterhood by Bobbie Houston

 

Your advice to new doulas:
Stay curious, eat healthy, exercise and develop or practice faith!