Are Postpartum Doulas “The Help”?
As a Black postpartum doula, I've had to confront the idea that my role is that of a servant, a mammy or "the help". There is so much honor is domestic labor, but in the US it's been looked down upon, and Black communities have a fraught relationship with hiring help, or being "the help".
In this episode we'll cover:
The expertise that comes with being a postpartum doula
Why Black women (and truly most birthing parents in the US) might hesitate to hire help
How doulas might contribute to some families' hesitation to get postpartum support
Why I love being a Black postpartum doula
Resources:
Why One Mom’s Viral Video About Her Night Doula Made So Many People So Angry- https://slate.com/human-interest/2021/11/postpartum-doulas-black-mothers-childcare-sleep.html
Laundry soap bar: https://www.amazon.com/Fels-Naptha-Dial-Laundry-Multi/dp/B01MQKOO1U/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Fels+Naptha&qid=1661375664&sr=8-5
Sleep and Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders Statistics- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1160560/
Hire the doulas at DC Metro Maternity- www.dcmetromaternity.com
Sign up for our online course for Black women giving birth in the hospital-https://dcmetromaternity.com/online-pregnancy-birth-postpartum-class-for-black-women/
Subscribe to Musings of a Black Doula on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or Stitcher!