🤔WHAT QUESTIONS TO ASK A POSSIBLE BIRTH DOULA DURING AN INTERVIEW🤔
➖do they have any formal training?
➖how long have they been a doula?
➖how many births have they attended?
➖how many clients do they take in 1 month?
➖do they have referrals or a Yelp page?
➖is this their full time gig or do they have another job?
➖if they has children, do they have secure on-call childcare?
➖what’s their philosophy on birth?
➖why did they choose to become a doula?
➖what are things they can do during labor to help you? Maybe massage, acupressure, hip squeezes, use of aromatherapy, verbal encouragement, position changes etc etc
➖how can they help incorporate your partner so they are more involved?
➖do they have special skills, like use of a rebozo, spinning babies, lactation consultant, birth/video photography etc etc?
➖what’s in their doula bag? birthing ball, peanut ball, essential oils, flameless candles, chapstick, hair ties etc etc?
➖what’s their fee? is it a flat rate or sliding scale?
➖do they take payment plans?
➖can you trade with them? maybe you are a website designer and they will trade a website build for doula services
➖how many prenatal visits do they offer and what will they be doing with you at those visits?
➖when are they officially “on-call” to you?
➖unlimited calls, texts or emails?
➖when will they come to you on baby day? As soon as labor starts? When active labor is established?
➖in the event they can’t make it to you, do they have a back-up doula and can you meet and/or speak with them?
➖can they take photos and/or videos of the birth if you choose?
➖let’s say labor is happening and your care provider comes in suggesting an intervention. how will they handle this situation?
➖how can they support you in the event of a cesarean?
➖how long do they stay after the birth and can they assist you with lactation?
➖what happens in the unfortunate event of a miscarriage or stillbirth?
➖what happens in the event of a long labor? do they stay the whole time, take breaks, call them back-up?
➖what happens in the event of a needed medical induction which can take as long as 3 days or more? are they there the whole time? get you comfy at the start of the induction then leave and come back when proper labor has been established?
➖how many postpartum visits do they offer?
➖are they available via phone/text/email after the birth for questions on lactation and/or newborn questions
✅ITS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU LIKE YOUR DOULA. DO YOU HAVE A CONNECTION WITH THEM? CAN YOU SEE THEM PLAYING A ROLE ON YOUR SPECIAL DAY WITH YOU? CONNECTION IS VITAL✅
