Birth of a Doula

My name is Jessica. I have been teaching Bradley (Husband Coached Childbirth) for two years. During the last two years, I have been teaching through the American Academy of Husband Coached Childbirth (AAHCC).
In the 2010 year, I assisted three women in the births of their children. Two for friends. One for one of my Bradley couples.
Last summer I attended a toLabor (ALACE) training.
I started reading the toLabor manual right after training, but, got discouraged with one of the articles that was a little to vivid for me. Plus, overwhelmed with facts and needing a place to put them so I don't overwhelm everyone in my life with pregnancy, labor, birth, and after birth facts.
As it stands right now...
I am honored to be invited to two births this year. One in May for a friend. And another in August for one of my Bradley couples.
I have switched from the Academy of Husband Coached Childbirth to Brio. Brio is based on Dr. Bradley's principles.
I have ordered some of the reading list for the toLabor training...
Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year
The Doula Guide to Birth
The Complete Book of Pregnancy & Childbirth
The Birth Partner

Wise Woman Herbal is a book I am glad I ordered. I can't imagine sitting down and reading it cover-to-cover. However, like The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy (that I have owned for years), I imagine I will keep it near at hand for reference to specific situations. The pages will be dog-eared shortly.

The Doula Guide to Birth is proving to be a good starting place for me. In the first few pages, the one thing I want to remember is to recommend olive oil as an oil to use to help stretch mom to avoid an episiotomy or tearing. I know to use oil to massage the perineum, but, often I don't think of olive oil. I think of almond. It is good to remember something that everyone, probably, already has in their kitchen can be used.