Pictured: Felicianna Marquez (Hatch Doula & Postpartum Trainee, Cohort 3)
"It is not uncommon for majority of people to not know what a doula is. A doula's work is completely outside of mainstream culture and society. A doula works to empower, inform, and support a birth parents journey into caring for a new life. In a heteropatriarchial society that works to isolate women from one another, to devalue emotional labor, and profitize pregnancy, being a doula is a radical form of a revolution.
The historical origins to the term doula are understood to be greek, meaning "women who serves." In other translations it can be understood as "female slave." While neither are necessarily empowering definitions to the term, reappropriating the term wasn't until the 1960's within the United States when studies began showing that having a doula, or a support person, reduced needs for medical intervention.
Today, a doula is seen as privilege for the white and wealthy. In many ways, this is true based off socioeconomic status of different populations within the United States. However, doula's, midwives, and healers are indigenious to every ethnic group within history. As a HATCH doula we aim to change this notion that people of color and low-income people are undeserving of aid. Since my time at HATCH I have realized the importance of working with community to support one another through new transitions, and this is not just for the rich. Young parents need to feel loved in order for their children to feel loved, and that is what a doula is ultimately, a provider of stable support and love."