Idaho, Honduras, Somerville and more...

On this very warm day in Cambridge, I have my mind in Genesee, ID, which is the place that I will be attending a midwifery assistant training workshop on September 8-10th (ok, I am like 90% sure that this will happen). Nancy Draznin, a labor assistant training instructor for ALACE and homebirth midwife with Motherwise Midwifery, is putting this together to train 15 women to learn how to chart, take vitals, and assist the midwife at a birth. Tres bien...

Corina, Sara and I got together again last week to do some more work on our business plan, but instead we laughed for an hour with the joy of each other's company. We said goodbye to Corina for a little bit, as she is currently leading a group to do service in Honduras. She'll be back in early July.

Sara is doing her thing in Somerville- we are all busy preparing for some down time in the summer, but keeping busy with our new doula business. Tonight I am finishing up some art work with my friend Natasha Jain, who is an illustrator and an amazing artist. She has created a logo for me and Creative Birth Doulas that we can use on business cards, brochures, etc...I can't wait to see it!

Alas, it is 5PM.
Ciao,
Gina

A day in the life of a doula...

It's a lovely Tuesday morning and I thought it would be fun to share a day in the life of a doula. At the moment, I am in the office working on advertising for a few of ALACE's doula workshops coming up in the next few months. Today, I am also planning to write an article for ALACE's quarterly publication, Special Delivery about my time spent at the Midwifery Today Conference in Philadelphia that happened in April. It was amazing- learning from experienced midwives like Ina May Gaskin and Naoli Vinaver. I was in constant awe of the amazing work of my fellow birth activists and professionals and have to share with the ALACE membership how great that type of experience was.

After work, I will be going to a naming ceremony for my most recent client's little baby girl. Lots of raving about how cute she is (she is REALLY beautiful) will ensue, followed by delicious snacks and hor d'ouvres. And, after that, I meet up with our very own Sara Kennedy in a tea shop in Harvard Square to "doula" each other on our paths to midwifery. Sara and I both have shared aspirations to midwifery along with many of the same hopes, fears, and questions about how to fulfill our goals. It is awesome to share that with her and to have someone who will listen and understand. I always say that everyone needs a life doula- when is it bad to have someone supporting you, relaxing you, and encouraging your own strength? I say never!

Hopefully, after all this will come sleep! Have a great day yourself.

Bios are finally ready for posting...

Meet the Doulas:


Gina Forbes
I am a professional doula with ALACE as well as an aspiring midwife. I currently combine my birth work with a job as the ALACE Workshop Coordinator, where I organize doula trainings across the US and Canada. I believe in the midwifery model of care and offer a variety of support for labor and birth, including massage, acupressure, techniques from yoga, compassionate emotional support and informational support. In my free time, I practice yoga, knit and craft, and participate in community events and organizations in the Boston/Cambridge area.




Corina Pinkerton
I am an ALACE-trained doula and live in Jamaica Plain with my husband. I am originally from Texas, but moved to the Boston area to attend graduate school at Harvard Divinity School and the Kennedy School of Government. I view birth as a sacred transition, and as a doula provide pain management and emotional support for laboring women. I also enjoy helping mothers and their partners design simple rituals and art projects to celebrate the pregnancy. (i.e. belly-casting, henna belly tattoos, family prayer services etc.) My husband and I are expecting our first child early this fall.




Sara Kennedy
My goal as a doula is to allow women to feel informed and empowered in birth. As a recent graduate from a master’s program in Women’s and Gender Studies and Sociology I understand the ways in which women’s experiences of birth can have the potential to be a site of great strength that translates to other avenues of their lives. I was born and raised abroad in Jakarta Indonesia and my worldview has been colored by this experience. I am open minded, grounded and dedicated to women’s health and the experience of birth.