Hello, I know how easy it is to get bodily fluids on your clothes at the hospital (I am a doula) and I love the clean look of scrubs and hospital uniform type of things that you can easily buy online. However, will this look inappropriate to hospital staff? what about getting it in another color that doesnt look like operating room green or nurse white? Thanks!

-- Terry Reyes (wanucat@aol.com), October 20, 2003

Answers

Nurses are no longer relegated to green or white. Some hospitals wear all the same color, some allow staff to wear what ever color or print they want to. The main concern with doulas wearing scrubs in the hospital is actually security. With all the security trainings that maternity nurses have to attend, they are trained to watch for people who are trying to fit in by wearing scrubs, whom they are not familiar with as a fellow employee. So unless your hospital staff knows you by sight, I would not wear scrubs. How about wearing scrubs and a doula t-shirt? Good luck, Georganne

-- Georganne Hampton (daoul1@alaska.net), May 03, 2004.

Hello Terry,

I would worry more about you and the mother's comfort level. I think that one special thing about being a doula is that you are separate from the hospital staff and there to advocate for mom based on her needs and desires. Another thing to consider would be maybe finding some nice comfortable clothes that you only wore when working or something. In my doula work, I try to emphasize the de- medicalization of childbirth and this may be important to some moms who do choose the hospital for their births. Otherwise, I think that it is all up to what you are comfortable with. Hopefully, the hospital staff would be aware of the comfort level of their uniforms and percieve them that way, as uniforms, not as a measure of prestige.

-- tara lane cardinal (cartar04@evergreen.edu), May 28, 2004.