The staff my client was in contact with made mention that some doulas they come across aren't so good, which is a little baffling to me. I certainly feel like I am attentive and hands-on. I tend to view each birth I am at as if I was attending a homebirth--it is my job to get this and that, there is no button to be pushed where a nurse will run in and ask what she can do for the mother. In my mind, this is normal and, honestly, very common sense for someone who has been hired to be a helper. So if I am doing what I feel like every doula should be doing, in basic terms, then what are other doulas doing or not doing? I would love to know the answer to this, but know I probably never will. And that's okay, really. I will just continue on my merry little way, knowing that for one moment in time, at the very least, I did someone a good turn.... and that all I can do is worry about myself.
My prayer is that I can always make a difference for the families I attend to, and that I can also make a teeny-tiny positive difference in the perceptions of staff at facilities where they may not be so accepting of doulas.
Feeling happy on the inside.