-by Angela Morris, CD/CPPD, TBF, DEM
As birth-workers, our word is our bond. Sometimes life gets in the way – for example, I just moved and that move was sandwiched between two home-births as a Midwife (I wear a few hats.) This means my commitments here to Madriella as the new head of the Advisory Board were shelved briefly… but they can not be permanently. When you make a commitment, it is critical to keep it. Whether to your community, your school, your families you serve or most importantly – your own family.
No matter what however, I know our Director knows that I’m going to suit up, show up and do what I should and need to for Madriella. When the day comes that I can’t make the commitments I’ve been asked to or there are commitments that I decline that outnumber those I accept, well that’s my day to step back.
So what does this mean to you in reference to Madriella’s Doulas?
It means that even when we don’t have contracts with our clients yet – we behave ethically. If we offer a service outside of Madriella Doula services, and have entered into a financial agreement with someone for those services, we are ethically bound to honor them.
Am I pointing fingers at anyone – nope! Because I fully believe that Madriella holds some of the best certified Doulas around. We’re a Doula training program, an offshoot of a Massage school. We educate, and do not nanny our members. We are very proud of our graduates, and are very hopeful that you are just as proud of Madriella.
Recently we had someone contact us at Madriella, with a complaint about the Doula. They questioned her integrity, her ability to keep commitments and tried to undermine her at a high level. We took the inquiry seriously and then decided to shelve it. The complaint was not made by a family, but by another Doula, certified by an organization that has a very patriarchal culture regarding their own Doulas, in what has been interpreted as an attempt to undermine the Madriella Educated Doula at an upper level. It happens, it’s not pretty and we do not engage with that behavior. Evidently the culture of that organization extends to behavior that Madriella doesn’t teach, and will never support.
Madriella is a Doula training program, and one that is only growing. Our skills are needed by the women we serve, whether they are a client or our own daughters, nieces, or neighbors. Because they are. Our culture may not be for everyone, but 5 years into being a Madriella Certified Doula, I can say that I have only seen integrity, credibility, and respect for others come from Madriella Doula’s and I am proud to be one.
Every woman deserves a Doula. Back in 2010 when I was just going through my Madriella training The ACOG stated that women fare better with a Doula at their birth. Madriella’s model is to make it as easy to obtain as Red Cross certification, because we believe it’s that important.
If you are trying to decide where you get your certification as a Doula from, just keep in mind what kind of Doula you want to be, and what the organization or school behind you you want to be your home base for the rest of your birth worker career. Madriella’s model is to teach you to support mothers, and keeps in mind that the most of use are those we would support. Mothering the Mother.
In 2010 I chose Madriella, and I’d do it again if starting over from scratch today.