WOMB REVOLUTION
  • ABOUT
    • Testimonials
  • Services
    • Photography and Video
    • Child Birth Education
  • Contact
  • FAQ
    • Resources
  • Blog

WHAT I WANT NEW DOULAS TO KNOW part 2

2/9/2019

1 Comment

 
Picture
PART 2: GETTING STARTED
 
After finishing a doula training, most people are very eager to get everything in place and start attending births. The oxytocin rush is real!
 
The first step after finishing your training really would be to spend some time working on building your brand and website and getting clear on your target market. This blog post doesn't cover the "how-to" on any of those things, so I urge you to sign up for a business class if you haven't already done so.
 
But assuming you have already gotten started on the business side of things, this is what I would like every new doula out there to know about getting started on birth work.


1. No one has the right to tell you how much to charge
There is a big divide in the birth world about money. You will run into tons of people telling you to charge more or charge less. You will run into people who expect you to work for free and you will run into people who think working for free should be forbidden. And you know what? None of those people opinions matter, because you are you.
 
It's true that as women or people who work as caretakers, a lot of times our work is undervalued by others and by ourselves. But for some people doing a few births for free helps them feel more confident.
 
It's also true that working for free is a privilege not everyone can afford. If you want to start charging a living wage for your first birth ever that's okay too. Either way, you need to remember the next point!

Read More
1 Comment

LA PRIMERA SONRISA, BIRTH FILM REVIEW

2/4/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
I watch a lot of films about birth and to be honest a lot of them are very similar to each other. They carry important messages: birth has become increasingly medicalized, birth is normal (most of the times), you can do this, emergencies do happen, midwifery care makes a huge difference.
 
All these things are true, although sometimes a bit repetitive from a birth worker's perspective. But here I am, still watching films about birth. One of the reasons why I do it is because each one speaks to a difference audience, connects with different people, and holds a unique piece of wisdom.
 
La Primera Sonrisa is a documentary made by Mexican filmmaker Guadalupe Sánchez Sosa. What makes this film special is its unique cultural perspective, as well as its focus on sexuality and emotions in birth. The film follows internationally renowned midwife Naoli Vinaver, whose own homebirth short film, Día de Nacimiento, became famous in the birth world in 2015.

Read More
0 Comments

What I Want Aspiring Doulas To Know

2/4/2019

4 Comments

 
Picture
It feels like ages ago when I moved to Olympia, from Costa Rica with my partner and my son, carrying only our backpacks, didgeridoo and cast iron pan. At that time I had completed my first doula training and attended my first birth. I felt SO READY to start working with expectant families regularly. I expected things would be easier, faster, more straight forward. But they weren't. It's just now, almost 4 years and 3 doula trainings later that I have started to feel truly supported by my business.

Every year I hear from many people who want to become doulas, but don't know where to start. I know how it feels! So this two part series is for you, some tidbits of advice coming from the last few years of building a successful doula practice.

PART 1: CHOOSING A DOULA TRAINING

There are many training and certifying doula associations. Since the doula profession is not regulated, they are all just as officially valid as the other. However, some of them are bigger, better known and are seen as more legitimate in the profession. Some of them respond to particular needs or niches in the birth community. So, with so many great options out there, how do you choose a doula training?
These are some things to consider.


Read More
4 Comments
    Picture

    Author

    Marissa Rivera Bolaños is a doula and visual artist with a passion to create change around the way our culture approaches women's health.

    Tips for Fearless Birth
    FREE EBOOK!

    Archives

    January 2021
    July 2020
    June 2020
    October 2019
    July 2019
    February 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015

    Categories

    All
    Baby Care
    Birth Photography
    Birth Stories
    Body Literacy
    Breastfeeding
    Childbirth
    Community Building
    Dancing For Birth
    Fertility Awarenss
    Film Review
    For Doulas
    Guest Blogger
    Herbal Health
    Hiking
    Hula Hooping
    Menstruation
    Midwifery
    Nature
    Nutrition
    Parenting
    Personal
    Postnatal Fitness
    Postpartum
    Pregnancy
    Prenatal Classes
    Prenatal Fitness
    Products
    Recipes
    Self Care
    Self-care
    Sleep
    Travel
    Women's Empowerment

Location

OLYMPIA, WA

Contact Us

​MARISSA BOLAÑOS
(360) 972 1863

​
marissa@wombrevolution.com
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

SERVING

Olympia, WA and Surrounding Areas
  • ABOUT
    • Testimonials
  • Services
    • Photography and Video
    • Child Birth Education
  • Contact
  • FAQ
    • Resources
  • Blog