From the author, Ekaterina Mariposa
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The Doulas of the Silk Road program grew out of my personal and professional journey, which from the very beginning has been at the intersection of cultures, countries, and birthing systems. My life has been marked by immigration since I was a child: Afghanistan, Moscow, USA, Canada, then back to Russia, Georgia, Spain... Over the course of 10 years as a doula, I have supported the births of women from over 30 countries.

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I learned about the doula profession in North America — in a system where doulas have long been integrated into the medical and social context. I studied psychotherapy in California, where I gave birth to my son, and completed my doula training in Canada. I know firsthand how diversely women's support can be organized — and how strongly culture, language, history, and the structure of healthcare systems influence it.

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Upon returning to Russia, I became one of those who essentially paved the way for the doula profession: I co-founded the Association of Professional Doulas (APD), authoring the Doula Code of Ethics, was one of the initiators of the process of amending legislation on partner births, supported foreign mothers, being one of the few English-speaking and the only Spanish-speaking doula in Russia at the time.

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Later, having moved to Georgia, where doula care, childbirth preparation, and breastfeeding support were practically nonexistent, I found myself a pioneer, building this work practically from scratch — in a different cultural and medical context.

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This journey taught me the most important thing: doula care cannot be taught as a universal set of techniques. Therefore, the goal of my training is not to impart a template, but to convey the ability to navigate the culture, the system, and the specific situation of a woman and family.