We are the EDN!
They say that nothing worth doing is easy. Like every non-profit, we have to navigate bumps in the road. But we wouldn’t change a thing. Why? Because throughout our journey we’ve honed our skills and put our abilities to the test, so doulas everywhere can benefit from each other's experiences:
Who is the EDN?
"WE ARE THE EDN!"
Connecting • Supporting • Informing
EDN Office Core
This is the beating heart of the EDN, warmly supported by our member representatives. Our roles are doubled, or trippled up to make sure everyone has the support they need and to help make distance working more fun and companionable. We use MeWe for secure communication and have created a number of 'walk through' videos to help new volunteers easily learn how we organise ourselves. We meet monthly online and look forward to meeting again in person... it's been too long!
Clicking on a role title will take you to our Newsletters where you can often find out a little more about each of us. We like to introduce one of our doula-duos in each Newsletter.
If you are interested in helping us with some of your time, we also have the 'doula pool' of volunteers who maybe available when we need an extra hand or for a specific project.
The roles are renewed every year at the EDN General Meeting in September, when team members confirm their ongoing participation or request the participation of new volunteers. We all have busy lives beyond volunteering and the key is open and caring communication between us throughout the year.
Beyond these core roles, there are also other mini-projects which EDN doula members are welcome to initiate or join. If you're interested in volunteering in any way, please don't hesitate to contact us, we welcome and support your ideas and energy whenever possible!
Core-Organiser and Treasurer
Debbie
(supported by Michèle, Andrea)
Membership:
New: Ayşegül
Renewals: Debbie
EDN Focus Group Volunteers
Since our Annual Member's Meeting in 2021, we have created a number of focus groups to deal with special projects:
EDN Documentary:
Mary, Anita, Maria
EDN Survey 2022
Research
Špela, Myrto, Debbie
International Conference Representation
Silvia, Insa, Debbie and Barbara
Doula Solidarity and Support Initiative
Debbie, Olha, Aleksandra
EDN is recruiting Volunteers!
We have a truly amazing team and so many exceptional projects to help connect, support and inform doulas and the medical and social communities they are part of!
We need your ideas and enthusiasm, plus your communication and organisation skills to bring these projects to become seeds that become plants, that bare flowers and fruit!
We have a fully organised volunteer framework to support you and bring your skills into the sunlight.
Affiliates and Partners
International Childbirth Initiative (ICI)
The International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization (IMBCO) and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) have joined forces developing a single global initiative to provide guidance and support for safe and respectful maternity care, building upon their previous work and incorporating the most recent evidence and insights into what constitutes optimal maternal and newborn health.
Launched in 2018, this initiative, The International Childbirth Initiative (ICI): 12 Steps to Safe and Respectful MotherBaby-Family Maternity Care provides clear steps for implementing evidence-based maternity care worldwide, acknowledging the interaction between the MotherBaby dyad, Family and Environment as well as their interactions with health providers and health systems.
The 12 Steps to Safe and Respectful MotherBaby-Family Maternity Care is available here in multiple languages.
The role of doula is complementary to many of the ICI steps and is clearly supported in Step 4, as you can see below:
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ICI - Step 4 Podcast (video above) "Offer Continuous Support"
with Elena Carillo (DONA) and sociologist Dr Christine Morton.
Prenatal Alliance
We are individually and collectively committed to fostering the following values, worldwide:
- Prenatal parenting – The importance of parenting our baby prior to conception, at conception, during pregnancy and birth
- Babies first – The unborn baby is a conscious and sentient being who reacts, responds, learns; he/she thrives when surrounded by love and harmony, nurtured by his/her mother, especially when she is supported by the father, family and society at large
- Safety – Women need to feel safe and respected during the time they are forming and welcoming a baby into this world
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EDN Presentation to DONA (Doulas of North America) International, 30th April 2022
EDN Newsletters
Following the cycles of nature, our newsletter comes out each season, sharing inspirational doula stories, latest developments and ongoing projects. English is the EDN linguafranca, but we also share original version articles with translations into English.