Everything You Want to Know about Full Spectrum Doula Work
This article was originally published on May 6, 2021. We have edited and updated it for republication on February 6, 2024.
Our Full Spectrum Doula Training course was our inaugural course, and it’s the course we offer most frequently! We are so proud of the content in this course and the conversations coming through each cohort. Because the term “full spectrum” is now a buzzword in the birth work space, we’d like to take some time to explore and define full spectrum doula from the BADT lens.
In brief, full spectrum doulas are trained to support the full spectrum of reproductive experiences in inclusive, anti-oppressive, and client-centered ways.
What Does a Full Spectrum Doula Do?
A full-spectrum doula is a community care worker who offers support to people during the full spectrum of pregnancy – from preconception, to birth, to abortion, to miscarriage, to adoption, to postpartum.While some folks may come to this work with medical knowledge and experience, doulas are not medical professionals. Instead, we work alongside our clients in a variety of medical and medically adjacent settings.
Full-spectrum birth workers engage in learning and unlearning, such that they operate from an anti-oppressive foundation. Furthermore, they work to understand systemic barriers their clients may face in light of their identity, background, preferences, lived experiences, and so on.
While this doesn’t mean full spectrum doulas will say “yes” to every client, it does mean that they prioritize being accessible, inclusive, and culturally appropriate. When (not if) there’s a client that is not a good fit or the doula doesn’t have the capacity or skills to serve the client, they do their best to make a better-suited and vetted referral. Our directory can also come in handy for making local connections amongst doulas; also, check out our blog about creative referrals lists here.
The history of full-spectrum doula work precedes the more mainstream use of the term, as midwives, activists, and other community care workers have served in this role for friends, family, and folks in their community across history and across cultures. One of our favorite books, Revolutionary Mothering, honors this lineage, and it’s something we think and talk about often.
Okay, So What Do They Really Do?
BADT-trained doulas can support people through the full range of reproductive experiences. We recently published the Doula Scope of Practice document which outlines and clarifies the role! You’ll find some of these experiences and details about support below:
Birth Support: Doulas who offer birth support typically meet with clients 2-3 times for prenatal appointments to get to know the client and their preferences. They will focus on building rapport and offering a space for the client, and their partner(s), if relevant, to share their needs, fears, hopes, and questions about labor, birth, and the beginning of parenting. Doulas who attend births will typically provide continuous support during labor, birth, and the initial few hours of postpartum. Labor and birth support often looks like verbal and nonverbal reminders to breathe, affirmations, comforting touch and other comfort measures, invitations to change positions, communication support between client and care providers and/or partner(s). Birth support often includes 1-2 postpartum visits to check in with the birthing person, share information or referrals (as needed), and to process the birth, if the client wishes.
Postpartum Support: Typically, postpartum support is offered in-home in the initial weeks and months after birth. Doulas who offer postpartum support can help the birthing person navigate the big transition they are experiencing, whether they are parenting or not. This can include cooking or coordinating meals/nutrition, offering information about postpartum healing, sharing newborn care tips and tricks, and helping the birthing person get connected to mental health professionals or other service providers.
Loss Support: Doulas can be an important source of support for birthing people experiencing pregnancy loss. This includes miscarriage, stillbirth, and abortion. Doulas can offer their physical presence and support the client in utilizing different comfort measures. They can also provide support in processing, referrals to additional support (as needed), and ideas for postpartum care and recovery.
Abortion Support: Doulas who offer abortion support may offer in-clinic or at-home support for folks experiencing abortion. They often support the client in planning for recovery or aftercare, ensuring the client can be as comfortable as possible. Abortion doulas support their clients in advocating for themselves and asking questions before, during, and after their abortion experience.
Values-Based Community Work: BADT is a values-focused organization, and we encourage our students to learn about and from the organizations in their local areas that are already doing community-based work. We also encourage them to bring new value sets to their communities, and influence meaningful change - always starting from a place of cultural humility, self-awareness, and acknowledgement of biases. Doulas come from a wide range of backgrounds and careers and interests, and we can contribute our skills and passions towards our vision for a future where all birthing people can “maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children [they] have in safe and sustainable communities.” (We love this definition of Reproductive Justice from SisterSong!)
We have seen so many other manifestations of full-spectrum work, including the following:
Why Do We Need Full Spectrum Doulas?
The medical-industrial complex is a system where the -isms (racism, classism, ableism, and so many more -isms that reflect oppressive, dominant culture) are not only lived out but also embedded in policies and practices. This means that many communities and individuals, including but not limited to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, queer and trans folks, and Disabled people, face disadvantage and oppression within the very system that is intended to support their wellness.
Full-spectrum doulas show up for their clients as a support, teammate, and companion as they navigate their unique reproductive or birthing journey. They hold space for and validate the experience the client is having, and in some cases, they can help slow the fast-paced nature of the medical industrial complex down.
Evidence Based Birth shares statistics about how the presence of a doula, or continuous support person, can positively impact a person’s birth experience and outcome. This information is limited to birth, as there is not (yet) much data about how having a companion for other reproductive experiences impacts the person receiving care. However, full-spectrum doulas and reproductive community care workers have plenty of anecdotal evidence to uplift the value of this kind of continuous support through a variety of transitional moments. This can be seen in shares across social media, in blogs, and other autobiographical works. Check out Radical Doulas Make “Caring a Political Act”: Full-spectrum Birthwork as Reproductive Justice Activism, a dissertation by JaDee Yvonne Carathers. This study about abortion doulas also offers affirming data regarding the presence of a caring support person. (CW: gendered language)
How to Become a Full Spectrum Doula-- Join Us!
Check out our course page to learn more about our full-spectrum doula training, and be sure to sign up to our email list below so you’ll be first to hear about new courses, open enrollment periods, and scholarship opportunities.
Finally, we answer some of our FAQs about the course here if you’d like to know more.