I have been working ever since I was 11 years old, but it wasn’t until the age of 32 that I began down the path of doula work. Between ages 11 and 32, I held multiple jobs that had nothing at all to do with… read more
Take Charge of the Prenatal Meeting
Have you ever been to a meeting that doesn’t have a clear leader, goal or purpose? How about a meeting that goes on and on without an end in sight? These meetings are incredibly frustrating and leave the meeting attendees with the feeling that the… read more
Making it Work as a Doula: Adding Services
Due to the nature of doula work, it is difficult to have a typical 9 to 5 work schedule. Doulas often can only take a limited number of clients a month. But we often still have time each month that they would like to fill… read more
4 Common Mistakes of a Doula Contract
Contracts are a necessary part of the business of being a doula. If you work on your own, then you have the flexibility and responsibility of creating your own contract. If you work for an agency, partnership or group, you likely are using a contract… read more
Doula Bag Makeover
It had been a few years since my Doula bag has had any re-organization, let alone a major clean out. I noticed that I was spending more and more time searching through my bag to find things. And really the last thing a laboring mom… read more
Doulas are not magic
More and more I am finding that people are familiar with the term ‘doula’. And this is so exciting! But, I still find that many people don’t really know what a doula does or more specifically what the true benefits of a doula are. I’ve… read more
What Doulas Do
Even after we’ve been hired some of our clients may not really know what doulas actually do. I believe the best time to walk through this is at the first prenatal meeting. That way, while you are learning about your client’s preferences and vision of… read more
Doula Time: 5 Things to Do Before You Leave for a Birth
You are a birth doula and your client is ready for labor support. You are dressed, you have your bag and you are ready to leave. But wait! I have 5 things that I recommend that you do before you leave. Each of these steps… read more
How to Work as a Doula – Agency Doulas {3 in a 5 part series}
Agency doulas are doulas that work in one or more doula agencies. In some cases, they might also have their own businesses, but get client referrals from the agencies which they are members. For this blog, I looked at 12 areas of business and… read more
How to Work as a Doula – Doula Collectives {4 in a 5 part series}
Collectives that I describe in this section are independent doulas that work together under a shared group name, but handle all money and contracts on an individual basis. Some groups use the word ‘collective’ in their names, but actually function more like an agency in that they handle matching… read more
How to Work as a Doula – Doula Outside the Box {5 in a 5 part series}
The three most common ways to work as a doula are as an independent doula, as a member of an agency and with a doula collective. However, there other ways to be a doula. Many doulas have thought outside the box and created their own unique way that works… read more
The things that DOULAS say
You are likely a doula if you say any of the following. I’ll be there as long as I’m not at a birth What day is it today? I had a birth this week. Your baby knows when to come. I support all kinds of birth… read more