The Power of Milk - DONA International

from the presidentHello Wonderful Doulas,Did you get to go to the fantastic conference in Atlanta? I hope you had aterrific time. We had such challenging and professional speakers. Whichone did you like best? If you missed this conference, start saving yourpennies for next year in Albuquerque, New Mexico in August 2010. Thehotel is so authentic to the area and we are going to be the only group, taking up thewhole hotel. Be sure to register as soon as the conference info comes out next springto be sure you get a room! Also, special savings are available on early registrationconference fees. 2009 conference attendees are eligible to save 15 percent off theearly registration conference fee with a non-refundable deposit of $50, and those whowere unable to attend the 2009 conference can still save 10 percent by reserving theirregistration now. Information is available on the DONA Boutique.This will be my last letter to you as DONA President. I have enjoyed the experienceand the last eight years I spent on the DONA Board of Directors in various positions.If you have an inkling to work with such wonderful, forward thinking women, watchthe web site for open positions. You can start on a committee or as a SPAR too!So this is a happy and yet sad letter. I am going to sleep for a month and thendecide what other exciting adventures my life holds. But I am going to miss writing toyou and working with the Board. I plan to be around because DONA is in my heart.So if you see me in Albuquerque, be sure to say “hi!”When we became an international organization we wanted to take it slow and getit right. Since that time we have done workshops in other countries and have alwayshad international doulas at our conferences. We are working on getting some of ourmaterial translated into Spanish, with other languages in mind for the future. But I amespecially excited that this year we brought doulas to our conference and workshopsfrom various countries on a fellowship to become doula trainers. They will be able togo back to their own countries and start training doulas in their own languages. Weare so excited about this project.I bet that you work with a variety of families, from different neighborhoods, fromdifferent countries and from different cultural or religious backgrounds. I am alwayshonored to learn new things from the families that I work with. My horizons arecontinually expanded by supporting families in their own style. A couple of times Ihave worked with women or families who cannot speak English and I was not fluentin their languages. At first it seemed daunting but then I realized that birth andpostpartum transcend language in many ways. Demonstration and pictures work well.I hope you get to learn and grow from the women and families you work with.Keep up the good work! Have fun on your doula journey.Warmly,BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresidentdebbie youngPresident Electsusan toffolonTreasurerkirsten rohlDirector of EducationOPENDirector of Certificationbrenda laneDirector of PostpartumJacqueline KelleherDirector of PublicationsSunday TortelliConference DirectorNicole WocelkaDirector of Int’l Developmentnicole heidbrederDirector of Membership Supportyana katzap-nackmanDirector of Public Relationsstefanie antunesMulticultural Directormichelle-nicholle calaresoREGIONAL DIRECTORSNortheastern USnatashia fuksmanSoutheastern USJennifer Rokeby-MayeuxMidwestern USDani JohnsonSouthwestern USCindy HodgesWestern Pacific USheathergail lovejoyEastern Canadajulia macneilWestern CanadaJalana GrantMexico/InternationalopenFoundersAnnie Kennedy · John KennellMarshall Klaus · Phyllis KlausPenny SimkinInternational Doula TeamDirector of PublicationsSunday TortelliPublications@DONA.orgManaging EditorLoree SiermacheskyIDEditor@DONA.orgP.O. Box 626, Jasper, IN 47547Associate EditorsNicole Stoller · Vicki HedleyPlease send all contributionsto the editorDESIGNWISE GROUPnatasha Fletcher, Art Directorwww.wisegroup.com4 International Doula Volume 17, Issue 3