Julie Morel

My doula name is very personal to me. As the symbolic flower of those born under the Aries zodiac like myself, honeysuckle has long been one of my favorite flowers. As spring begins blossoming and welcoming a new transition after a long cold winter, the fragrance of honeysuckle wafting from the distance always reminds me of the sweetness that comes with big change. Believed to have powerful properties that can cleanse negative energy and promote healing, they are also among the toughest of plants despite their sweet and fragile look - just like families undergoing immense transition. Those in transition between pregnancy, birth, postpartum, loss, or abortion are often portrayed to be fragile and in need of protection, but the reality is that they are some of the most powerful beings capable of withstanding earth-shattering changes. And as someone intentionally hoping to support families walking through a spectrum of transitions - some that might weigh heavier on the heart than others through navigating the grief of a loss - I intend for the symbolism of the honeysuckle to embrace many peoples’ journeys; in some Native American cultures, for example, honeysuckle is seen as a symbol of the afterlife and is used in ceremony to help guide the soul of the deceased to the spirit world. The sweet fragrance of the flowers are thought to attract the spirits and help them find their way. Whatever your personal path is, this imagery can accompany you and your loved ones through the pain and into a place of rest and peace. Lastly, in numerology, honeysuckles are associated with the number 9. What synchronicity it was, to learn this symbolism on top of all other roads that lead this flower to be so delightfully aligned with full-spectrum doula work! The number 9 - quintessentially representative of gestation and pregnancy - is often seen as a symbol of spiritual growth and enlightenment, and is thought to represent higher consciousness and the connection between physical and spiritual worlds. A beacon of love and compassion, the number 9 is a manifestation of personal growth and transformation. The honeysuckle welcomes you to ponder your own transformation as you walk this path into a new chapter of your life. In an effort to honor my own birth under the Aries zodiac sign as I honor others’ journeys and transitions, as a way to invoke the imagery of newborns suckling on their parent(s)’ love and nourishment, and in hopes of welcoming families called to receive my offerings on a wide spectrum of support needs, Honeysuckle Doula wraps you in a warm embrace and invites you to honor the sweetness and strength that exists within yourself and those around you.

A doula is a non-medical community care person who provides emotional, physical, and informational support to their clients throughout transitions in the reproductive lifecycle. Most people tend to associate doulas with birth, but full-spectrum doulas can support families through a variety of transitions: pre-conception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, loss, abortion, and beyond. A full-spectrum doula is a companion with foresight and knowledge in the different possibilities that may arise and they have the capability to provide physical comfort measures, to create a container for processing the many emotions that arise, and to inform you of your options. Full-spectrum doulas are trained to understand the natural physiology of these processes and to uplift you non-judgmentally in all your decision-making while affirming your intuition. Lastly, full-spectrum doulas are family-centered and aim to uplift the entire community as desired; if you want your partner(s) and child(ren) involved in these big transitional moments, we fully embrace making everyone welcome. In regards to birth outcomes, birth doulas have been empirically shown to: decrease dissatisfaction with the birth experience by 31% decrease the risk of cesarean by 25% (up to 39% for some clients) decrease the use of any medications for pain relief by 10% decrease the length of labor by 41 minutes on average increase the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth without medical intervention by 8% decrease the baby’s risk of a low Apgar score by 38% Researched by Bohren et al., 2017 Read more about doulas here.

Great question! While an OB/GYN, midwife, and partner are all able to provide some level of emotional, physical, and informational support, their roles vary greatly. OB/GYNs and midwives, for example, both hold clinical training and are medically responsible for your and your baby’s health - they are the professionals who perform tasks such as listening to fetal heart tones, conducting vaginal checks, catching the baby, cutting the umbilical cord, managing health issues, or answering medical questions. While clients typically choose to be under the care of either an OB/GYN or a midwife, neither of these replace the doula. While doulas cannot provide medical advice, prescribe medications, or deliver your baby, they do tend to have more time and space to focus on your emotional and physical support before, during, and after these big transitional moments. Given the way our medical industrial complex and current medical system is designed, patients tend to have little time with their care providers and find that having a continuous support system presence in addition to that on their care team can be greatly beneficial. Similarly, a doula can be a beneficial addition even for people that have involved and supportive partners present. Partners have a deep and intimate knowledge of their loved one’s personal needs and can provide care in a loving and affirmative way that no one else can simulate, but doulas are professionals that have personal and trained knowledge of the physiological art of labor. And, what’s more, is that doulas are present to uplift birthing partners just as much as they are present to uplift birthing people. Families about to welcome a life into the world are a team, and every team member is essential. Doulas are here to fill the gaps and make sure no need is left unmet.