The Alberta Health Services (AHS) Visitation Task Force has emphasized to the Doula Association of Alberta (DAA) the validity of patients requesting that a doula be designated as a second support person to be in attendance at their birth. The Visitation Task Force included the following language in Support Person guidelines, updated Effective October 4, 2021: 🌿 "Exceptional circumstances and requests by patients for two (2) designated support persons will be considered by site command posts on a case-by-case basis. One (1) additional designated support person (for the infant) will be considered in cases of adoption or surrogacy if physical distancing permits." 🌿 As shared today with DAA and site stakeholders, “a patient should have the ability to request a Doula attendance as a second DSP and that the request NOT be unreasonably denied. ... [ A request for doula support ] should not be arbitrarily dismissed without strong grounds." 🌿The DAA has been made aware that this infor...