Aditi Joshi

We started this project through a partnership with Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies of Georgia (HMHBGA) who saw the need for more specific mentorship structures and curricula that allow birth support professionals to gain skills that they do not currently have in the certification process. As a team, we saw value in focusing on three specific curricula that target ranges of skills and outcomes in order to show the wide variety possibilities in these seminars. We hoped that the essence and vibe that each of these seminars has (one of building community, active engagement, and individualized goals) can be carried over to the entire curricula that HMHBGA decides to move forward with in the future.

ENGAGEMENTS

interviews with doulas, engagements with their work

Our preliminary research uncovered the low number of certified birth support professionals (BSPs), especially in Georgia, as compared to the rest of the US. Knowing this theoretically, we wanted to understand why this was happening. We interviewed several doulas, both in Georgia as well as in Boston, where we were based. We also attended a breast feeding class to allow us to better understanding what the training was like for doulas. We found that there was a high level of burnout for the profession, and an uncomfort with the business side, even though it was necessary for a sustainble life. We found that building a business for a doula is a process that can be uncomfortable and conflicting. But the way in which doulas run their businesses, from how they communicate online to how they charge and more, impacts how doulas exist individually and nationally.

CURRICULA DESIGN

using insights to design education material for our client

To address this issue, we propose the doula development seminars, a series of gatherings and workshops (see below) that doulas can participate in sequentially over a period of weeks. We chose workshops because they are within the scope of HMHBGA and offer a chance for face-to-face engagement between doulas, as well as skill development and a chance for doulas to share their strengths with others. The workshops will be designed to (1)empower doulas by showcasing a diverse set of stories and strategies for business + management; (2) build confidence, self-efficacy + comfort with business side; (3) develop path + doula identity; (4) build community + relationships among doulas; and (5) support the legitimization of the profession. These goals aim to address the problem identified in the previous section through individual skill building as well as at deeper community levels.