Looking for doula position in Europe

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Hello! I am a doula in the US (Wisconsin), and I am looking into moving to Europe. Does anyone know of any doula jobs/midwifery apprenticeships, etc. available around Europe (particularly the UK), or how I could find out more information on the topic? Any help would be greatly appreciated! :)

-- Jessie Kunz (jessiekunz@hotmail.com), January 19, 2004

Answers

Hello,

I do not know of any, but I myself am looking for apprenticeships as well. I am looking more at south and central america. I currently live in Seattle, I am a doula and aspiring midwife. I am originally form southwest Michigan. I thought that it may be nice for us to keep in touch as I am interested in your experiences and adventures as a doula.

Best of luck,

Tara

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


I am a doula living in Bologna, Italy. I've just begun to work here after living here for two years (paperwork and learning the language took a loooooong time) and labor assistants are relatively unknown where I am. Fortunately Italy is all about the mama, which helps my work be more accepted, but it's still a completely empty field. I know of one woman in Rome who does this as well. I can't speak for the rest of Europe, but here I am having to create my own market, so to speak. Finding clients is not a problem, but working my way into the health care structure is more challenging.

Please keep in mind that the majority of European countries, the UK included, have socialized medicine, which slightly changes the dynamics of health care and how they affect the mother and labor assistant. My advice would be to contact midwives groups and practices in the UK to see if you can join them in the capacity of doula. Unless you are completely fluent in a foreign language, I would stick with the UK--I cannot emphasize how important full fluency is in the birth situation, especially if you're in a field that needs to be explained again and again to laypeople and medical professionals. Good luck with this!

-- Wendy Clyma (wclyma@netboi.com), July 08, 2004.


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