Practising Intimate Labour

Angela N. Castañeda, Julie Johnson Searcy
2021 Anthropology in Action  
Birth doulas provide non-medical intimate support to pregnant people and their families. This support starts at the very foundation of life – breath. Doulas remind, encourage and accompany people through labour by breathing with them. However, the global COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted doulas' intimate work, and they are forced to navigate new restrictions surrounding birth practices. Based on data collected from a qualitative survey of over five-hundred doulas as well as subsequent follow-up
more » ... interviews with select doulas, we find intimacy at births disrupted and reshaped. We suggest that an analysis of doulas provides a unique way to think through the complexities surrounding reproduction precisely due to doulas' ability to navigate intimate labour between and across boundaries.
doi:10.3167/aia.2021.280104 fatcat:xc4jfb2l7ndnro37d2fvdj3qwa