At the beginning of the 20th century, male Obstetricians dubbed the traditional ‘granny midwives’ in the US dirty and ignorant in order to wrestle control over maternity care and make huge profits. In a breathtakingly Patriarchal and racist move (over half the traditional midwives were Black and their wisdom derived from the traditions protected and … Read more
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash “There is more than one kind of freedom,” said Aunt Lydia. “Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don’t underrate it.”― Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale I’ve been watching season 5 of The Handmaid’s Tale again recently, … Read more
Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash Developing Doulas Course Facilitator, Katie Fryer-Olliffe, shares a deeply personal reflection on her journey into doula work, the importance of community over competition, and how she embraces activism rooted in connection, care, and integrity. Shortly after having my first child in 2007, I began exploring different careers that might … Read more
As we step into June, DD Companion Sam Reynolds reflects on her month of May and what this time of year means to her, professionally and personally. May ‘Spring is often more about foundational growth – inner growth, inner seeds being planted, our roots. Before we burst out, into the outside world, into the much … Read more
Regulation of doulas has been a topic of conversation in the birth world for many years. Should doulas be regulated? If so, who by? But perhaps we should start at the beginning; what exactly do we mean by regulation? The Gov.uk website defines a regulated profession as one that: ‘…is defined in the Professional Qualifications Bill. … Read more
Maddie, the founder of Developing Doulas like to write poetry and prose, often on the themes of birth and parenting. You can read more of her work on her personal blog. Sand and salt,Salt and sand,Heart exalts,Take my hand. Pebbles and stone,Stone and pebbles,Maiden and crone,Radical rebels. Waves and ripple,Ripple and waves,Goddess triple,No longer slaves. … Read more
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