How I Became a Doula: Inspiration from the BADT team
Folks come to doula work from a wide range of backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences. As we prepare for our 12-week Full-Spectrum Doula Training, which begins in September, we are excited to offer some inspiration from the BADT team. They share their journeys into doula work and Reproductive Justice, as well as some of their current joys and challenges.
If you’re considering doula work, read on; you may find something that resonates! If you are already a doula, read on; you may find that you’re not alone in your path!
Sabia Wade (she/they), BADT Founder and Lead Teacher
How did you arrive at/come to doula work?
I originally thought I wanted to be a medical professional, either a doctor or nurse practitioner. After being a Certified Nursing Assistant in hospitals for years, I realized the major issues in the healthcare system while becoming aware of doulas in my community. I finally decided to take the leap and become a volunteer Prison Birth Project doula and the rest is history!
What are some of your deepest joys in this work?
My deepest joy at this moment is being the doula for doulas. Being an educator has provided me with so much insight beyond my own doula practice. Learning so much about individual doulas, their wins, their struggles and how they are building the future is a gift. <3
What are some of the challenges that you are sitting with?
I'm currently sitting with how do we create more accessible ways to offer doula care without putting doulas in deficit. What are the systems we need to build beyond medicaid and health insurance policies? I sit with that daily.
Iya Mystique (they/she), Program Coordinator and Teacher
How did you arrive at/come to doula work?
My work originally started after having a very traumatic childbirth (where both me and my kid's life were almost taken due to a midwife sabotaging my birth) and postpartum recovery (which lasted for over 2 years due to lack of accessibility to mental health and lactation support for Black queer parents in the postpartum stage).
What are some of your deepest joys in this work?
Empowering my clients with the education that helps create safer spaces and experiences for their own birth and postpartum needs, including grief and loss, abortion, and lactation. I'm always down for guiding them in their healing (while working to find peace and joy during their time of need) regardless of the choices they make for their own selves.
What are some of the challenges that you are sitting with?
The continuous anti-Blackness, racism, queerphobia, transphobia, and all other oppressive systemic dynamics both in birth working spaces and in this country, which continue to cause more harm each day and heavily burden my community (especially with these ridiculous laws that continue to snatch away human rights and access).
Court Harris (they/them), Blog Coordinator and Writer
How did you arrive at/come to doula work?
My younger sister asked me to be an additional support person at the birth of her first kiddo in 2019. I had NO idea what I was getting into, but during the course of her labor and birth, I had a cliche “aha” moment during which I realized “I am a doula.” Within weeks, I was enrolled in a birth doula training, quickly followed by BADT’s full-spectrum training. Very quickly, I realized that doula work aligned for me not just because I feel gifted in holding space, but because of the ways I value Reproductive Justice, autonomy, and community.
What are some of your deepest joys in this work?
Supporting other queer and trans folks in any capacity– from birth, to loss, to post-op– is a joy! Celebrating folks in my community, uplifting their experiences, celebrating their transitions, witnessing their grief… it’s all such a gift! We get to, and we must, do this life together!
What are some of the challenges that you are sitting with?
Honestly, it can be really tough to be a trans/nonbinary doula. I’m holding my own grief while also holding my clients’ grief. Finding providers who are affirming is tough. Navigating TERFy vibes amongst other birth processionals or potential clients is trash. I don’t have other trans/nonbinary doulas in town to refer to for many services, and this is hard for me AND clients. I’m proud of who I am, and I am proud to support other queer and trans folks, and it can be quite challenging given the dominant culture.
Davina Williams (she/her), Executive Assistant/Vibe Manager to Sabia Wade
How did you arrive at/come to doula work?
The path for me has looked like: a start in child development (thought I wanted to be a preschool teacher...), to pursuing a master’s in counseling (I did not finish that. I wanted to operate outside of the professional therapy space), I suppose doula work was a combination of those prior directions. I had my first child at 22, and after some experiences with the prison industrial complex (PIC) during my early postpartum phase, developed a strong desire to support folks interacting with the injustice systems while navigating pregnancy (more expansion on my part to be done for that to become a reality, though). So the spark started then, and I hired a doula during my second pregnancy, & that solidified my interest in learning more and supporting families from that angle.
What are some of your deepest joys in this work?
Holding space for clients. Providing them with an outlet where they can offload, ask questions unabashedly, and being able to guide them through possibilities for their birth experience that completely change their trajectory as a parent.
What are some of the challenges that you are sitting with?
There are systemic challenges that I could write pages about, but more personally, for me right now the challenge would be finding a balance between my work, my kids, my own self-care, and finding a way to still actively provide doula care to folks, as I have been operating more in the background role & miss working one on one with people.
Join Us in the Classroom
Find all the details for our full-spectrum course here, and be sure to sign up for our email list so you’ll be first to hear about new courses, open enrollment periods, and scholarship opportunities. We would love to see you in class!