I’m writing this at the airport, waiting for my flight to Tbilisi, Georgia. Once again, I’ve been invited to teach new doulas-to-be training at CADA Doula training, and I’m travelling for the in-person sessions to teach about support techniques, following the two online sessions we already held.

 

Meanwhile, despite all the heartbreaking things happening in my country right now—and we know there’s so much going on in the world too—I’ve been reflecting on European Doula Network’s (EDN) Annual Members Meeting, which took place last evening and went really well. We, as the organisers, presented the annual report we prepared together with the volunteer team, and I am also very happy to contribute to the design as a former graphic designer. There were many rich discussions with the representatives and member associations, and several important decisions were made.

 

In moments like this, I feel a deep sense of commitment to my work. These experiences make me question again why I became a doula, and I’m grateful to feel the answer clearly in my heart.

 

Over the weekend, there was also the Prenatal Wellness Summit, organised by the Prenatal Alliance, and we were invited as EDN to present. My dear colleague Anita Budak presented on behalf of EDN, talking about a very important subject: Human and Women Rights in Birth. I wasn’t able to participate in all of the sessions; however, the replays will be available for a while in Prenatal Alliance’s YouTube channel, and I’m hoping to catch the rest of the sessions from the recordings. One topic really stayed with me: the discussion around integrating prenatal education into adolescent education. I couldn’t agree more. This knowledge isn’t only for parents-to-be—it’s for all people because it’s about our society as a whole. I would like to refer to the famous quote here that I share during my training sessions.

It seems that I often end up writing my personal notes and reflections while travelling—on the plane, at the airport, like now. It’s how I wrapped up last year, and it looks like that’s how this year will turn out. I’ll be travelling frequently for both personal and professional reasons, and these moments have become creative times for me—times for reflection, sharing, and growth.

 

I love writing newsletters. In fact, I’m also part of the Newsletter Team at the EDN. But it’s been nearly six months since I sent out my last issue. There are several important reasons for this. One is the new regulation published in December in Turkey, which limits the professional activities of not only doulas but all birth supporters. It’s been a heavy, complicated time, and a lot of energy went into navigating those changes. Things have now settled somewhat—even if the regulation hasn’t changed—but we are still working for re-regulation. There is a petition going on to support this act that you can contribute to. This is about women’s rights!

 

Another (much more positive) reason for the delay is the work happening with EDN, where I contribute as a core-organiser. There are many blogs to be written and updates to be shared, and I’ll be telling more of that story in the months ahead.

 

For now, I’ll wrap up this newsletter with something I’m excited to share: my podcast episode that went live at the beginning of the year. It’s a conversation I had with Hillary Melchiors, whom I met at the EDN Annual Meeting in Lille in 2024. I really appreciated her attitude toward challenges and her grounded approach to birthwork. She’s a past president of DONA International, and it was an honour to be invited onto her podcast, The Birth Geeks on Spotify. The episode was recorded just before the developments around the Turkish regulation—and I think it’s a powerful reminder of how quickly things can shift and how resilient and resourceful we can be in the face of change.

Looking forward to sharing more with you in the months ahead!

 

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