Doulas Archives - AMANI Birth

Birth by Design: Understanding the Physiology of Natural Labor

Written By: Dr Umm Maryam In today's maternity care landscape, childbirth is often viewed through a medical lens. While modern medicine plays a vital role when complications arise, it is important to remember that birth is not an illness, it is a natural physiological process that the female body is designed to accomplish. Natural labor is guided by a remarkable interplay of hormones, instincts, and physical adaptations that work together to support both mother and baby. When labor begins spontaneously and progresses without unnecessary intervention, the body activates a finely tuned biological system that has evolved over generations. One of [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2026-09-09T15:02:21+00:00Tags: Natural Childbirth, Respect Physiology|0 Comments

The Trauma We Carry as Doulas — And the Healing We Often Neglect

Written By: Ayisha Chandni Doulas are trained to hold space for others. To stay calm in intensity. To support through uncertainty. To regulate the room when emotions rise. To witness birth in all its beauty and unpredictability. But what we rarely talk about is this: Who holds space for the doulas? Behind many compassionate birth workers are experiences that quietly stay with them long after the birth is over. The mother who felt unheard. The traumatic emergency. The loss we witnessed. The birth that did not unfold the way anyone hoped. The moments we had to remain composed, while emotions [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2026-06-02T08:59:55+00:00Tags: AMANI Birth Doula, Self Care|15 Comments

The Doula Diaries – It’s okay to say NO.

Written By: Faheema Mohammed A few years ago, when I just started out as an AMANI Birth Doula and Childbirth Educator, I was under the assumption that I needed to hook every client that came my way, and I thought that the power was in the client’s hands. A few months to almost a year later, I realized that was not necessarily true. Even though I needed clients, I had just as much power over who I chose to support. You see, we birth-workers often enter this field with a passion for supporting families through one of life’s most miraculous [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2025-10-06T16:38:56+00:0013 Comments

The Doula: Her Role in Supporting Mothers and Her Impact on Improving Birth Outcomes in the Arab and Islamic World

Written By: Ola Alzahabi Childbirth is one of the most complex experiences in a woman’s life, where physical and emotional challenges intertwine, making comprehensive support during this stage a necessity rather than a luxury. In this context, the role of the *doula* has emerged as a vital element in supporting mothers before, during, and after childbirth, especially in recent years with the growing emphasis on woman-centered care. In the Arab and Islamic world, initiatives like AMANI Birth have begun highlighting the importance of this role, supported by local studies such as one conducted in Saudi Arabia, which confirmed significant improvements [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2025-07-20T08:55:49+00:0025 Comments

Creating Awareness About Childbirth Education & Doula Work: A Holistic Approach

Written By: Rida Fatima As a birth professional, you're passionate about supporting families through the transformative experience of childbirth. However, balancing your work with family time and finances can be challenging. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you create awareness about childbirth education and doula work while managing your personal and professional responsibilities. Building Your Platform 1. Define Your Niche: Specialize in a specific area of childbirth education or doula work, such as prenatal yoga, breastfeeding support, or VBAC accompaniment. 2. Social Media Presence: Leverage platforms like Instagram and Facebook, to share valuable content, engage with your audience, and build [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2025-04-25T06:28:16+00:0022 Comments

A Pregnant Journey

Written By: Fajr Dawn Peters I'm expecting! I am filled with excitement and anticipation of what this new addition could mean. Through all my thoughts and emotions, a fact I know deeply comes to the surface: 'I have to prepare.' Having had six children before, I know that knowledge is power and preparation is key. I must make informed, thoughtful choices because these choices impact outcomes; failing to make a choice is in itself a choice. I've chosen my provider, Aisha al-Hajjar, a wonderful midwife, mashaAllah, that I had been blessed to work with before. The role of the provider [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2024-11-05T23:32:32+00:00Tags: AMANI Birth, AMANI Birth Changing Lives, AMANI Birth Doula, Doulas, Informed Decisions|17 Comments

Book Review: AMANI Birth

Dania Shahzad talks about her takeaways after reading the AMANI Birth book, authored by Aisha Al Hajjar: "The book was definitely very informative with a beautiful Islamic perspective on how to prepare to birth naturally. I never thought how birth and our Islamic teachings could combine so well to give a strong message about trusting the design of Allah to birth naturally. I would definitely recommend it to expecting mothers because it is very comprehensive and the approach is holistic. The most profound thing I learned and that stuck with me is how important it is to go through good [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2022-08-05T15:53:24+00:00Tags: Book reviews, Feedback, Testimonials|4 Comments

Stories Of Inspiration & Empowerment: AMANI Birth Changing Lives Series

REVIVAL OF MY MOTHERHOOD - A BIRTH STORY Written By: Umm Aaqib بسم اللّٰہ الرحمن الرحيم Let's start this from the beginning... A woman's role as a mother is a highly-regarded, as well as an under-appreciated one; all at the same time. In this flawed world, we verbally admit the virtues of a mother, while disregarding her instincts and choices right from the time she conceives. Pregnancy is no longer treated as a natural process of propagation of the human race. It has become a new profitable industry, which is the result of "fake" modernization of medical industries. With two previous [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2024-10-15T07:45:17+00:00Tags: AMANI Birth Doula, Childbirth Education, Informed Pregnancy, Natural Childbirth, Stories Of Inspiration. Stories Of Empowerment|1 Comment

Stories Of Inspiration & Empowerment: AMANI Birth Changing Lives Series

Profile: Shaima Ashraf, AMANI Birth Doula & CBE in-training, Calicut, Kerala, India. "Dream births do come true!" Disclaimer: I hereby declare, as an AMANI Birth Doula in training that I do not support/encourage/suggest/advice on performing unassisted home/car births. This was purely unintentional/accidental. An intro before we jump into the birth story. The "mommy" in the story and I are cousins and best friends since childhood. I happened to know about AMANI Birth and "Doulas" through her and SubhaanAllah look how amazingly Allah let her reap the fruits of the seeds that she sowed in me. FYI: During her last consultation with her doctor, she had only one request, to have a birth without an episiotomy as she had [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2020-09-15T11:55:36+00:001 Comment

Testimonial Tuesdays

A mother all the way from Hyderabad shares her heartwarming experience with AMANI Birth: I am from Hyderabad, India. I took my AMANI Birth parents' workshop for my 5th child with doula and VBAC coach, Zehra Batool. MashaAllah, she was very informative, understanding and afterwards I even hired her as my virtual doula. Eight months back I was able to have my natural birth in a hospital, without any medications. After taking the workshop my husband and I felt very empowered and educated about the birthing process; something which we were longing for since our first child. We used to [...]

Sumreen Wasiq2020-09-15T11:55:45+00:00Tags: AMANI Birth CBE, Doulas, Testimonials|1 Comment

We are Assisting Mothers for Active, Natural, Instinctive Birth...for a blessed start in life!