I have a rose bush that was cut from my childhood neighbors’ bush.. My mom brought it when she moved to Georgia to live with me. It is the most beautiful red and aromatic rose you would ever smell! It blooms over and over from early spring into the fall. But if I don’t cut the old blooms off, it becomes woody and ceases to bloom. I have to remember to go and cut it every few days once it starts blooming. Pruning is necessary for many things to continue to grow. Cutting away old is usually not difficult. I wish the bush would prune itself sometimes when I am really busy!

I had a dream for my company years ago of a few wonderful doulas sharing call and supporting each other. Over the years my company has grown to have as many as a dozen labor doulas and postpartum doulas. I have had to cut away a few doulas during that time that were not good fits for our company for a multiplicity of reasons. And some doulas removed themselves. One wanted to spend more time involved with her children and be a room mom for them. One went back to school to study psychology and work primarily with postpartum depression new moms. Several moved away, out of state and recently we had a second one move out of the country. It happens. It is usually a bitter sweet departure of saying goodbye to a doula sister who has been an integral part of the family.

Seven months ago, in an attempt to help the very busy doulas in our company- along with me- have a little time off from being on call all of the time- something that is quite rigorous, we formed a group of three within my company called The Ladies of the Labyrinth. The team was made up of me, Pam Roe and Guina Bixler. We shared call and each of us had ten days to be fully off call each month.

Pam sustained an injury just before we began this endeavor.  She tackled doulaing after this injury and on occasion walked away with  small set backs to her recovery. She recently made the decision that for her full recovery to be possible, she would need to step away from doula work full time. This not only broke my heart that I would not be doulaing along side of her but it broke my heart for her since she loves this work.  She plans to doula occasionally for  repeat clients and will back me up if needed. But the day to day being on call is not something that is conducive for her full recovery. She is also using this as an opportunity to really jump into her other dream. She has longed to teach parents about being empowered parents and creating happy families.  I think everyone will benefit from her teaching these class series as well as continuing to teach the Birthing from Within childbirth classes.

The other doula in our team, Guina, had a back injury in 1985 that occasionally  causes her difficulty when she is doing full time doula work week after week.   Her family has encouraged her to make the change from full time doula work to only teaching with a new grandchild coming soon. She has decided to step away from the day to day doulaing.   She has continued to work within Birthing From Within to achieve the status of Eagle and also has completed some additional training toward working with women and couples to use art to explore life experiences for healing. It is fabulous work. She will be pursuing a variety of classes that she already teaches and adding more to her repertoire. She too will be involved in doulaing for repeat clients and offering that occasional back up to me as needed.

This drastic pruning of our company is difficult. It reminds me of when my dad would go out and cut back a shrub drastically to the bare branches. I would shake my head in disbelief that the shrub would ever return to its beauty again. But come spring the shrub would sprout forth new life and become beautiful once more,. My dad would remind me that the root structure was strong and resilient and that pruning although drastic would help the shrub be more beautiful. (to read more about this company change read this: http://laboroflovedoula.blogspot.com/2011/06/walking-labyrinth-with-my-sister-doulas.html

I have no doubts that in the coming months my company will be strong and beautiful. I know the roots are strong and resilient. Pam and Guina will no longer be part of the team of the Ladies of the Labyrinth doulas- but we will remain the Ladies of the Labyrinth childbirth educators instead.  I have done a full doula schedule of on call for over sixteen years and have grown accustomed to the life style of a busy doula and I have some wonderful back up doulas with tons of experience to back me up.   I love doula work and will not be leaving it any time in the near future. And I am sure Labor of Love will continue to flourish. The doulas who remain with my company love this work and will continue to doula for many years I am sure. And I am sure I will be adding new doulas along the way that meet the loving hearts and hands standards that we are known for.

So as of the middle of July, our company will be made up of labor doulas who include: myself, Alicia Pillsbury, Renee Wymer,  Charlotte Scott and Kim Bennett, Pam Roe and Guina Bixler doing some doula work (the occasional repeat client and back up). My postpartum doulas include: Alicia Pillsbury and Renee Wymer offering this service to their labor doula clients as an addendum service, Jennifer Fargar, Patti Schultz and Lindsay Tucker. Childbirth educators include:  the Ladies of the Labyrinth- myself, Guina Bixler and Pam Roe.

Alicia teaches some specialty classes- sibling preparation and others, Renee Wymer is the “Green” educator with organic parenting, baby wearing and cloth diapering. Charlotte Scott teaches private yoga and joins me in teaching Dancing for Birth. And other specialty classes- including Breastfeeding, Optimal Fetal Positioning- Line up Your Baby, VBAC, Happiest Family and others are taught by the Ladies of the Labyrinth.

Melanie Naysmith is our placenta encapsulator specialist and does limited labor doula work as well as offering back up to our active doulas.