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Blog

Birth and consent: the basics!

February 5, 2020

Emma Ashworth is a Nurturing Birth doula, a trustee of AIMS and she is currently the AIMS Journal Editor. She has a special interest in consent and has written extensively on women’s rights in birth.

Your baby… Your body… Your decisions!

When we’re pregnant we are offered so many tests and checks, we’re poked and prodded and our bellies are listened to. We’re even told to “leave our dignity at the door”.

But did you know that you have the absolute right to decide what happens to your body? Did you know that it’s only you who gets to decide whether you have any of the tests, checks or interventions that are offered in pregnancy and while giving birth? Did you know that they are an option, even if they’re not presented to you in that way?

If you’re told that you “have to” do something or you’re “not allowed” to do something, remember that they can’t allow you any more than you can allow them. If you are told what to do, try to change it in your head from, “do this” to “I’m suggesting that you do this and you’re welcome to ask me more about it if you wish, before making your own decision.”

Making your decisions about tests in pregnancy

You have the right to ask as many questions as you want to before you make a decision, and often this is necessary as some of the decisions we need to make are complicated, and need serious thought about the pros and cons. In many cases, it isn’t solely about taking the test, it’s about what the consequences may be, of how your care may change, if you take it and you’re diagnosed with whatever they are testing for.

So let’s look at some of the questions that you might want to consider asking your midwife or doctor, to help you to get the information you need to be able to make an informed decision.

  1. What are the benefits and risks of the test itself?
  2. If I am diagnosed, what will the treatment options be?
  3. What changes to care would be recommended, if any, and why?

A commonly used acronym that can also help is “BRAIN”:

B – Benefits
R – Risks
A – Alternatives
I – What does your Intuition say?
N – What happens if you do Nothing?

You have the right to have as much time as you need to make your decision, even if this means another appointment to talk it through again. Usually you can go away to think about it and come back when you’re ready, if you choose to.

Making your decisions about labour

A common decision that many pregnant women and people have to make is whether or not to accept the offer of an induction at the end of pregnancy. Inductions are not a risk-free process, and this should be explained to you before you decide whether or not to accept one. Unfortunately, as induction has become more common, there is often little time allocated to explaining the risks and benefits, and yet without knowing all of this information the health care providers are not fulfilling their legal duty to obtain informed consent for the intervention. In fact, they are obliged to ensure that you have this information, and it must be unbiased, and where possible, evidence-based. If the advice that they are giving is not based on evidence, but their own opinion or something else, this must be made clear.

If you feel that you don’t have the information that you need to make your decision, you have the right to spend the necessary time with your doctor or midwife until you do. This might not be possible in one appointment but you should be given an additional appointment for as detailed a discussion as you wish. When you make your decision, it must be respected.

Making decisions while in labour

While you are in labour, it is sometimes harder to make decisions and for this reason it can be very valuable to think through in advance what you would or wouldn’t want to accept. One important decision is how you feel about vaginal exams. They are not compulsory. Nobody can put their fingers in your vagina without your consent, at any time, ever, and this doesn’t change during birth. Other common interventions include monitoring your baby’s heartbeat, and you might want to find out about options for pain relief and what the pros and cons are of each type on offer at your chosen place of birth.

During your labour, whether you’ve investigated something thoroughly or something completely new comes up, you still have the right to make your own decision about whether or not to accept it. If you want more information to make that decision you can ask for it.

How can a doula help with your birth rights?

While it’s helpful to know that you can ask for more information, not all midwives and doctors are helpful, and sometimes they can feel challenged, and become defensive or dismissive. The situation can sometimes feel confrontational, and that can be very upsetting for many people.

Doulas can be excellent mediators. They can take away the confrontation and instead support positive communication, helping you to ask the questions you need, and suggesting questions that you may not have thought of. Although doulas can’t give medical advice, they can signpost you to information that you may not have been given. They can remind you that you have rights, and encourage you to recognise your own empowerment.

A doula can help you to plan your birth and they will have knowledge about the options that you might want to consider in advance which you may not otherwise think of. So many people come out of birth saying, “I wish I’d known XYZ”. Having a doula means that you know more – and knowledge is power.

During your birth, doulas can help you to stay grounded and strong. If you feel that you are being pushed into something that you don’t want, they can be another voice to remind the staff that they need to listen to you. They can help you to remember what you wanted, and support you in that decision, or, if you change your mind, your new decision. Crucially, they can help to facilitate communication if there’s an emergency, helping you to understand what’s going on even if the staff feel too busy to take the time to talk to you properly.

Sadly, many women who have experienced birth trauma say that the trauma came from feeling out of control of what happened to their bodies. By knowing that we are the ones who can make decisions for ourselves, we know that we can insist on that information before we agree to anything happening to us, and that itself can lead to a much higher chance of a positive birth, no matter how it ends up. And, if we want support with that, our doula will be there for us.

In February I’ll be looking at the Montgomery ruling, and why we all need to know about it

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: birth rights, consent

5 important things that might be stopping you getting more doula bookings

October 14, 2019

Ok, so you’ve completed your Doula Course and your fabulous doula business is up and running! You’ve got yourself a business card, a fancy logo, leaflets and even a website. You’ve set up your Facebook page, registered your business with Google to get your SEO started and you tell all your friends and family about what you can do and how much you can help.

And then your first ever client books in, hurray! You’re off to a flying start. And then another and another….

But then… a lull.

You market yourself some more and you wait…

And wait…

You nab a few clients, but you notice that getting more doula bookings is becoming harder and harder.

You’re spending more and more time and money on marketing that isn’t bringing you enough clients.

You start to wonder… what’s gone wrong?

You stress and you worry. This self-employed malarkey is so much tougher than you thought it would be!

Don’t panic lovely doula. It doesn’t have to be like that. You have amazing talents; you just need to make a few tweaks to get those clients flowing into your booking diary.

To get you started, here are 5 important things that might be stopping you getting more bookings.

1. You’re throwing your net too wide

As the talented doula you are, you can probably help with many things, you might even offer other services such as placenta encapsulation or sleep consultancy BUT marketing yourself this way could actually be losing you clients. People tend to shop for one solution at a time so if you’re trying to sell them several at once then you risk overwhelming them. Coming across as a jack of all trades and a master of none might not be the best way to convince potential clients of your capability.

Getting more doula bookings comes down to three simple marketing rules… be super clear about who you want to help, what they are struggling with and how you can make it better.

If you offer multiple services, make sure your marketing of these is clear cut and not jumbled up together. Be mindful of what stage your potential client is at and focus on the service that best suits her needs at that time. Help her at the stage she is at NOW and save the upsells for later down the line.

Once a client has bought from you once they are much more likely to choose you over a competitor in the future. Get them booked in before you start to throw a list of services at them.

2. You’re focusing too much on the letters

So, your doula training and registration with professional bodies is SUPER important. But ironically, focusing on these in your marketing could actually be putting potential clients off. Your training and CPD is important because it’s what makes you the talented doula you are, but will clients really know what that training is? Or which of your long list of services they need to help them with their thing?

In most cases, all the client wants to know is that you can make them feel better.

Your training and qualifications is your toolbox. You carry it everywhere because it helps you to do your job. But it isn’t what makes you great at your job.

Think about it this way. Every doula out there is carrying around the same toolbox as you… So how are you going to stand out?

How are you going to take your clients from the place they are in now where they are feeling overwhelmed and under-supported (otherwise they wouldn’t be looking for a doula in the first place) to that place they wish they could be, where they feel informed, empowered and positive about pregnancy and birth.

That’s what you’re selling. A great way to do this is to feature customer testimonials and case studies in your marketing. These help your potential customer to recognise herself and her worries and start to see how you are the perfect doula to support her.

3. You’re expecting customers to jump too soon

You spend hours at your computer crafting that perfect Facebook post, you post it, you might even pay to boost it and you sit back and wait for all those new clients to get in touch… But nothing happens.

Is Facebook broken? Are you rubbish at marketing? Is anyone actually reading anything you post?

It might be that you are expecting clients to jump too soon.

Marketing is a journey. It’s so much more than just social media. It’s being on different social media platforms, it’s blogging, it’s having a website that connects with clients, it’s having case studies that showcase your excellent doula talents, it’s building your mailing list, and nurturing and building your relationships with potential clients and other local businesses.

All of these things help to lead potential clients to your diary.

So, posting on social media and then expecting that post to turn into paying clients is asking people to make a HUGE leap. You need to get those marketing steps in place so, through regular contact they can get to know you, like your stuff and trust that you are the person to help them. Only then will they make that booking with you.

4. You’re blending in, rather than standing out

Do you know how many doulas there are in your local area?

Let’s say there are loads… Does that mean you should give up and get a day job? Absolutely not! What it does mean is that you need to stand out in that sea of doulas, because if you blend in you will struggle to get clients to notice you.

The easiest way to start standing out is simply to be you. Yes, there are loads of doulas out there, but there is only one you. Potential clients can be drawn in or put off by your personality, the way you talk, the language you use, even the way you dress. You can’t attract everyone, so use your personal skills to really stand out to those who get you.

No more hiding behind a logo or a brand. Use photos of yourself in your social media and on your website. Create videos of you – yes, it’s scary but it’s a great way to stand out. Don’t be afraid to find and use your voice – there is no ‘right’ way to speak or be as a doula and every woman out there is looking for a doula that fits with who she is too! Your vibe attracts your tribe they say so if you are being you, you’re more likely to attract clients who really value what you do and how you work.

5. You’re staying local

As doulas we are often taught that the client relationship should be a face-to-face one, but that limits you to those people who live in your local area or align with your working hours.

Does all support need to be given face-to-face? If not, why limit yourself when there is a whole world of people out there who could benefit from your help? If you can’t provide a whole support package online then which services could you bundle up and offer remotely?

As well as remote consultations and support you might also consider creating online products; taking your doula skills and turning them into an online programme that clients can buy and use without you even needing to see them one-to-one.

Online products enable you to help more people and allow you to earn an income even when you’re not working. Yay!

So, no more struggling to fill your diary and build the business of your dreams! Just making a few tweaks to the way you work and market yourself could make a massive difference for you. Why not give it a try!

Filed Under: Blog, Marketing Tagged With: bookings, marketing, website

Video interview with Polly Hand, chiropractor

September 2, 2019

Sophie chats to chiropractor and doula, Polly Hand, about her work with pregnant women, babies and families, especially when it comes to breech or malpositioned babies. She discusses how she uses the Webster Technique amongst others to help babies move into an optimal position.

For more information about Polly visit her website or follow on Instagram

Click here to watch Sophie’s interview with Aine Homer about baby reflux or click here to watch Sophie chatting with Hannah Wallace of Wear My Baby about baby wearing and the benefits for families.

If you are looking for a respected, quality doula then do visit the Nurturing Birth Directory

Filed Under: Pregnancy, Video interviews Tagged With: chiropractic treatment, chiropractor, Webster technique

Why you should absolutely be blogging to promote your doula business (and how to get it right)

August 22, 2019

Let’s talk blogging…

We know, you’ve probably heard this one before right? Blogging is an essential part of your marketing strategy. But when you’ve got a million and one things on your to-do list, is blogging really worth it?

As a doula, working within a limited geographical area and with a limited number of clients, do you really need to be blogging? Isn’t it just a mammoth waste of time?

Absolutely not! And here’s why… 

Four reasons you should absolutely be blogging to promote your doula business

1. Blogging showcases your professional knowledge

Writing a regular blog that addresses common problems or queries your potential clients may have makes you look super profesh and helps to reassure them that you really know your stuff. This can be crucial if a reader is comparing several potential doulas. Blogging regularly helps to boost the know, like and trust factor of your website, increasing the chances of a potential customer getting in touch.

To make sure you’re blogging about the right topics start a file of subjects that you see pregnant women asking about or discussing. Your emails, social media and newspapers and magazines can all be great sources of information.

At the end of each blog make sure it’s easy for the reader to take the next step and get in touch. You could provide a call to action along with contact details, for example…

Have you been affected by xxx during your pregnancy? Get in touch to find out how I could support you. Email me: sophie@totallyawesomedoula.com

2. Blogging helps to boost your SEO

SEO is incredibly important for small local businesses. Put simply, if someone types ‘doula in Tewkesbury’ into Google and your website comes top of the results then there’s a really good chance that person will click on the link to your website (where, of course, the fabulous blog you just posted is ready to wow them!) Posting and (importantly) promoting a regular blog help your website rank higher in local search results.

Google spiders regularly crawl your website. When they find a new page or post they add this to their index. The first part is done; the rest is up to you.

You see indexing and ranking are two different things. When a potential customer types a query into Google they are essentially asking Google to show them all the results in the index that match their query. Now as you might imagine there can be hundreds even thousands of results for each query and ranking is how Google sorts them. Their goal is to show the most relevant and useful content first.

To show Google that your content is worth ranking you need to get eyes on it. The more the better. Each time you post a blog, be sure to promote it widely and if the subject matter is evergreen, keep promoting it on a regular basis.

>> Want to know more about SEO? Read our blog: Search Engine Optimisation – A TOTAL beginners guide!

3. Blogging ensures that your website/business looks active

Having a website is super important, but the problem is that you can never really tell how old a website is, or how active. There are thousands of abandoned blogs and websites out there, so how can a customer tell if yours is up-to-date? Posting a regular blog is one way of letting potential customers know that you are actively promoting yourself. Find a blogging routine that suits your business lifestyle, even if it’s just once a month.

4. Blogging gives you much more to talk and post about on social media

Do you sometimes struggle with what to post on social media? You’re not alone. It can be super tough to think up fresh ideas for your social channels, but blogging provides a regular source of interesting content. It’s super simple to turn your blog into dozens of social media posts. Here’s how…

Let’s take this blog for example, we might…

  • Post a quick video letting our followers know we published a new blog and why we’ve chosen to cover this topic on Instagram.
  • Write a post with a quick intro and link to the blog on Facebook.
  • Create a series of memes, each one focusing on an individual tip and post them on Facebook and Instagram.
  • Pull out key sentences and use them as tweets.
  • Use the blog topic as a social conversation starter, and ask our doulas how often they blog and why.

So what do you say? Are you ready to start blogging to promote your doula biz? You can do it!

Filed Under: Blog, Marketing Tagged With: blogging, marketing

Video interview with Liz Stanford, The Calm Birth School

August 12, 2019

Sophie caught up with Liz Stanford who recently took over The Calm Birth School from Suzy Ashworth. They chat about Hypnobirthing, the science behind it, the mind body connection and how empowering it is for women approaching birth. They also talk about how the term hypnobirthing can be off-putting for some and dispel some of the myths around it. Liz shares her experiences of using hypnobirthing for the birth of her three children.

To find out more about Liz and the Calm Birth School visit their website, Facebook Page, Instagram

Click here to watch Sophie’s interview with Alex Heath, Hypnotherapist about Birth Trauma recovery.

Filed Under: Birth, Pregnancy, Uncategorized, Video interviews Tagged With: calmbirthschool, hypnobirthing

Video interview with comedian Rob Rouse and actress/writer Helen Rutter

August 6, 2019

Having watched Rob and Helen’s new play, Funny in Real Life, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Sophie caught up with the husband and wife team to chat about home birth and why it can be so difficult discussing joyful birth experiences with other women and families. Prepare for laughter, some chaos and occasional appearances by other members of the Rouse family!

Click here to find out more about Funny in Real Life, on at the Gilded Balloon Teviot at 11.15am until 18th August during the Edinburgh festival.

Follow Rob and Helen on Twitter

Rob and Helen talk about why birthing at home felt so safe and the right choice for them – in this blog Sophie talks about home birth and physiology – why it makes sense that we would feel relaxed in a familiar environment.

Click here to read comedian James Mullinger’s account of doula support at the birth of his children

Filed Under: Birth, Video interviews Tagged With: homebirth

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