A Few Tips to help find the right doula for you.
You are pregnant, and that's amazing, wonderful and awesome. Pregnancy can be one of the most scary and exciting times of your life it's a time of tremendous change a time of growth.
With the impending birth of your child there are many decisions to make and making those decisions can be very overwhelming. From choosing where you want to give birth, to be under the care of a Midwife or OB/Gyn to medicated or non-medicated; it can really give you choice fatigue. Another choice that a birthing person must make is whether or not to have a doula, if you choose a doula it can be daunting to go through the process of hiring one; whether it's finding one who is culturally competent, or within your price range, or has the experience and certification that you would like them to have or even is within your area of service. The process of finding your birthing team can definitely leave you exhausted and disheartened.
Take a deep breath, I’m here to help……….
I've put together a list of tips to help you find the right Doula for you.
One
Now I know this option may turn a lot of people off, especially if you're not a type a person like myself, but I say this: do your research! Do your research! I cannot stress that enough, look for as many options as you can possibly find. I recommend interviewing about five to seven candidates. Possible doula candidates can be found on different national listings as well as through word of mouth recommendations. I encourage you to ask your Midwife or OB/GYN if they have any vetted recommendations.
You maybe saying to yourself what am I going to ask these candidate doulas I've chosen them: this leads me to number two.
Two
For me this is the most important: have a conversation, have a real conversation with your possible doula. Ask her all the questions you want, and consider how the conversation makes you feel.
Is it easy?
Do you feel heard?
Do you feel like he or she is listening to you?
Do you feel comfortable with them?; remember this person is going to be supporting you, and holding space for you when you are in the most vulnerable state. You need to be able to trust this person as much as you can trust the rest of your birthing team
This is not to say that your Doula should be your friend. Although in the end a lot of women end up befriending their doulas, but there needs to be a clear line that the person you choose is there to provide a service for you in that they're holding space for you and honoring your birthing plan.
Three
Make sure that your Doula has proper training and certification. I don't stress this as much as possibly other doulas and other blogs do. I do stress the importance of training, but I don't think certification is as important as training. Some doulas who are in training, who are still obtaining their certification have definitely attended a lot of a lot of births, and can provide excellent service. You may miss out on an opportunity to have a really great doula if you're being biased based on certifications or lack there of. I say when choosing the right doula for you consider their training and certification but also give ear to their other experience outside of training and certification.
Four
This is a major one the cost or the fees that the Doula is charging. The cost of a doula can range anywhere from $800 to $2500, with inflation causing an increase in prices daily, so this leaves birthing people with a hard choice to make. Unfortunately cost is a factor when choosing your doula, if you happen to vibe with a doula, but cannot afford their services it can leave you feeling disappointed. If we lived in a world where you could have whatever doula you want and cost was not even be an issue it would be an amazing but, unfortunately cost is a factor. Some things to you can do to offset the cost and get the doula that you want. Hire a doula in training they usually charge at a sliding scale starting at $800 or you can find a doula who is covered under their insurance or covered under Medicaid. More and more doulas are getting certified to be covered under Medicaid and other insurances. You can be reimbursed for the cost of having a doula both during your pregnancy and labor and postpartum.
