Being a Doula is My way of Changing the World
European Doula Network Meeting 2023
Something amazing happened last September in Madrid, Spain. Around 90 doulas from all around Europe and beyond came together to meet, to cuddle, and to experience together. In other words, to inform, connect, and support, as in the European Doula Network's (EDN) values. What do 90 doulas do when coming together over a long weekend? You will find the answers in this article as you keep reading.
Five months have passed since the EDN Annual Conference. Although I was meant to write this blog post several months ago but I think it was supposed to be written now. I am excited to be writing this article because I have already registered for the upcoming conference, which will be held in Lille, France, from October 4–6. We are meeting again in person. This gives me goosebumps, even though there is still time. Why? You will also find the answer as you read about my experience from the previous year.
Although I had attended two online EDN annual conferences before, this was my first in person, which made it even more special for me. Meeting people I had only seen on screen for a while was incredibly exciting. I attended as a friend of EDN myself, the representative of the Turkey Doula Alliance, and the representative of the Istanbul Birth Academy. The EDN Conference 2023 was organized by the Spanish doula association, Red Circular de Doulas. Everything was very well organized. We stayed in a complex where there was a meeting room right in the middle of the building. This made it very practical for all of us. I knew the hotel we were going to stay in was far away from the city center, so I decided to go two days earlier to stay in and explore the city center. Madrid is a beautiful city with its museums, squares, El Retiro Park, and, of course, delicious food. I had a great time before leaving the city center. We have also met with some doula friends who came early, like me. We had dinner together. The next day, more doulas arrived in the city. The pre-conference unofficial gathering was just so delightful.
The first day of the conference got started in the afternoon with the opening ceremony circle, where we got to know each other more closely. Our passionate moderator, Florencia, led us through the upcoming days, and then, under the guidance of a wise woman, Yolanda, we started to knit our group's umbilical cord with all of us's energy, symbolizing a collective invisible connection. While knitting, we briefly introduced ourselves. We have all met talking about ourselves, the countries we are from and/or belong to, getting to know each other briefly, and connecting. It was amazing to see so many countries present there. That’s the peace that doulas can create in the world. We all work for good and try to spread it. Then it was time to build the altar with our babyhood photos and then to knit our own umbilical cord, thinking of our presence, our ancestors, and our babyhood. We wore our umbilical cords for the whole three days. And the conference had officially begun with that ceremony. The organizing team welcomed us with a shopping bag bearing the phrase, "Being a doula is my way of changing the world." This is truly meaningful. It is my way, really. With all the sad things going on in the world, maybe we cannot change those events, but by contributing to births, supporting women and babies, we can change something. Despite appearances, little pieces spread throughout the world will eventually come together to form a whole. There was dancing and joy as the session was coming to an end.
The second day, which was our full day at the conference, coincided with a full moon. We had many interesting sessions. The day began with EDN core-organizers’ presentations about what is going on in the EDN office. The core organizers, Anita, Debbie, and Maria, are doing a fantastic job enabling the doula love of EDN to be spread throughout Europe and beyond. We were moved and filled with hope by Debbie's amazing speech about the world and our roles within it. From the time I started to work at the EDN office, I became aware of how difficult it is to manage an NGO. I realized how important it is to contribute to be able to keep it sustainable. That's just one of the many reasons I've enjoyed volunteering for over two years at the EDN Office. I also get the chance to speak a bit to explain my role in the membership team and how volunteering works, and I invite people to become volunteers. There were workshops and presentations for the rest of the day. We heard from amazing doulas. Here are some examples from the topics: food massage, self-care, working models, supporting a mother with disabilities, and supporting an LGBT family. At the end of this long day, we also had a chance to go and enjoy the city center.
The final day already started off a little sad for me because, even though it had only been two days, I connected with the atmosphere so much that the thought of saying goodbye at the end of the day made me feel that way. There was a meeting for members and volunteers in the morning. When the sessions began, we watched a video ‘doulas around the planet’ prepared with our photos doula-ing by the organization team. Seeing how similar our working styles are, sharing the successes and challenges, was quite emotional. We had a wonderful closing ceremony afterwards. To gather our collective energy, we formed a circle, released our individual umbilical cords, and then joined them all into one. The final outcome was given to this year’s organization team. It is going to France this year, just like us.
At the end of these magical doula days, I felt loved, grounded, and embraced. I had a deep sense of what sisterhood is all about. In my childhood, I recall getting a little depressed the day after my birthday because it meant another year until my next celebration. That’s exactly how I felt after the conference. I am looking forward to meeting again in October.
