As birth-workers, our word is our bond. Our clients trust us with their most intimate moments in their lifetime, and it’s our job to honor that trust, no matter what the conditions of our support are given under.
Sometimes life gets in the way of meeting some of our commitments. For example, I just moved and that move was sandwiched between two home-births as a Traditional Midwife (I wear a few hats.) This means my commitments here to Madriella as the head of the Advisory Board were shelved briefly… but they can not be permanently set aside.
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 I do however, I know our Director, Michael Perce, 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 part of a 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 after investigation.
The complaint was not made by a family, but by another doula, certified by an organization that has a very divisive culture regarding any other Certified Doulas, and a very competitive business model. Evidently, the culture of that organization extends to behavior that Madriella doesn’t teach, and will never support. We choose to rise above anything that is not healthy for the industry, believing a doula can be compassionate yet run a business, and years in the future we’ll have that same philosophy and position – I can’t see it changing.
The Madriella Doula Program is a part of a school, and a part 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 that the organization or school behind you will 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 us 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.