This study, based on in-depth interviews with 30 self-identified radical doulas working in the US, describes the radical practices, positionality, and orientation towards reproductive justice that distinguish these care workers from mainstream doulas. Radical doulas provide nonjudgmental support in a full-spectrum of reproductive experiences from menarche to menopause according to the needs of their clients. As non-medically trained care workers, they provide informational, emotional, and physical support during abortion, birth and postpartum, fetal loss, adoption, or surrogacy, enacting individualized skill sets across settings from homes to hospitals and clinics. Radical doulas are paid professionals, but often offer a sliding-scale for fees, or volunteer their services in specific instances, like abortion or loss. Their willingness to serve pregnant people regardless of the outcome (i.e. abortion, birth, loss), or the context (i.e. medicated or nonvi GLOSSARY ACOG: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Birth giver: "A person who nurtures other beings inside them and who gives birth. Birth givers may self-identify as women or any number of other genders" (Apfel 2016:102). Birth worker: "A caregiver and advocate that supports birth givers to navigate the struggles and triumphs of their reproductive experiences" (Apfel 2016:103). Care work: "The frequently 'invisibilized' and chronically undervalued labor that is necessary to the reproduction of life and the continuation and growth of the capitalist market. Care work remains essential to the continuation of societal functioning through providing the nourishment and support necessary to sustain and reproduce the individual and the community anew each day" (Apfel 2016:103). DONA: Doulas of North America "an international nonprofit educational organization of doulas and educators that oversees and provides certification and accreditation to the vast majority of doula training programs in the country. It is the oldest and largest association of doulas in the world" (Apfel 2016:105). Doula: "The word doula is derived from ancient Greek and means 'female slave.' In the mid-twentieth century, it was popularly retranslated as 'woman who serves.' Doulas traditionally provide continuous emotional, physical, and informational support to woman during labor and delivery. Today the terms spans to support persons across pregnancy outcomes as well as people who are dying or experiencing other major life transitions" (Mahoney and Mitchell 2016: 290) Feminism: "A desire to live and thrive in a world held in common, where the reproduction of all bodies and all forms of social life are carried out with dignity and respect and where pleasure and sensuality nourish and enrich a spirit of mutual caregiving" (Apfel 2016:105). Full-spectrum doula: "An Activist, an ally and radical caregiver. Involves support for all reproductive experiences and outcomes including, menstruation, birth, abortion, rape, stillbirth, miscarriage, or adoption. Often linked to larger liberatory a...
