BirthMatters wants you to join the excitement.

What are we celebrating? Not one but two graduations.

On November 8, 2011 in Spartanburg BirthMatters celebrated the completion of the peer breastfeeding counselor training. For ten weeks we met every Tuesday at the Spartanburg County Library for 3 hours…this is the special group of trainees that participated.

BirthMatters provided the training to our doula team from Cherokee and Spartanburg to help increase knowledge so we can better serve our families and increase our breastfeeding rates for three and six months. BirthMatters invited a graduate mom that has a successful breastfeeding relationship with her daughter. Her beautiful daughter received a special crown for her participation. On November 17, in Cherokee County, we celebrated the community doula graduation. This group of ladies completed the community doula training. This training is twenty sessions for three hours each week. We gathered to share stories and enjoyed a nice diner together at the Olive Garden in Gaffney. Each participate received a framed completion certificate and spoke about what the training had meant to them.

Birth Matters plus Health Connect One: A Doula for Every Mother.

The Health Connect One Mission states:

HealthConnect One (HC One) is a nationally recognized nonprofit training and technical assistance agency that uses innovative, community-based approaches to support direct-service providers in promoting the health of mothers, infants, and families.

http://www.healthconnectone.org/

On the journey to becoming a professional doula, I have had the honor to be a part of the Health Connect One model of labor doula work. I am amazed at the success, commitment and depth of their program. The Health Connect One experience brings light to the honor and depth of the “Doula” title.

Most recently, I have been a part of the neighborhood doula training. I love the emphasis on meeting a mom where she is. The training focuses on the fundamentals of supporting a mother through pregnancy and her birth. The model teaches doulas to love on a mother how she needs love: whether she is excited about information about her birth choices, or she needs support getting the resources she needs to parent. The supportive love flows into every corner of the mother’s life, giving her the power to make choices. Ultimately, the mother will have a better birth experience because her needs are met and she is empowered to birth and parent how she needs to parent-- No matter what it looks like.

This is not to say the normalcy of birth and the importance of breastfeeding are neglected. On the contrary, they are emphasized and encouraged. Birth Matters’ neighborhood doulas have a 100% breastfeeding rate. That speaks volumes for the success of the model.

The neighborhood doulas are exceptional women. They have answered a call to love their neighbors. Health Connect One provides the training to shape that love and calling. The Health Connect One Doulas’ commitment to the health of mothers, infants, and families is inspiring. Sitting with these women, hearing their stories in supporting families is an honor. It has completely reshaped my understanding and practice as a doula.

Welcome to our Blog

BirthMatters is excited to launch our first blog! This is a great way to keep everyone informed and aware of what BirthMatters is doing. So for those who have not heard about us…BirthMatters began in 2009 offering doula services to families in Spartanburg County. A doula (doo-luh) is someone who is educated in childbirth and provides physical, emotional, and informational support to a mother and her family before, during, and after childbirth. BirthMatters focuses on providing services to younger mothers at no charge to them. We are a program of ReGenesis Health Care and receive grants to support our passion. In 2009, BirthMatters sponsored the DONA (Doulas of North America) training to ten interested women. These doulas provided services to 28 families in 2009.

In 2010, BirthMatters became a replicated doula program of Health Connect One. Last year we were able to provide the 20-week doula training in Southside Spartanburg at Cornerstone Baptist Church. After completing this training, BirthMatters hired two neighborhood doulas, Ashley Lyles and Tria Sims. BirthMatters provided doula services to 28 families in 2010 with great outcomes including 92% breastfeeding rate at birth. BirthMatters is currently providing the 20-week doula training in the Arcadia community at Bethel International Church.

BirthMatters received a federal grant in September 2010 from HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) to expand our doula program to Cherokee County. BirthMatters was selected as one of three recipients for this unique funding opportunity. We are very excited about this opportunity and love getting to know the Gaffney/ Blacksburg community. 
Molly