Do You Have What it Takes to be a Doula?
"Each of us has a unique part to play in the healing of the world."
― Marianne Williamson, The Law of Divine Compensation: Mastering the Metaphysics of Abundance
For many who choose to become a birth doula or postpartum doula, this work is a calling. More than just a job, doulas start their careers because they feel they are meant to do this work. Having experienced the need for support after the arrival of a baby or recognizing this need for help in their community, doulas are compelled to serve in a meaningful way.
How to become a doula?
Doulas are unlicensed and unregulated in North America, meaning anyone can decide to become a doula and begin working with families. That said, most people who are hiring doulas, and most agencies who partner with doulas, expect you to have attended a recognized training. At National Baby Co., we feel that doula training is essential.
Your training program should teach you what a doula's scope of practice is and provide information about normal physiological birth and postpartum and the many variations of normal. As an experienced doula, your trainer should offer tips and tricks to improve your clients' experience. Many doula training programs will also provide ongoing support to you as you navigate this demanding career, including business support.
Attending a doula workshop will help you show up for your clients with confidence and professionalism. Training and certification tell potential clients that you have met high standards for education and experience.
Popular doula training organizations in the USA include:
An extensive list of doula training organizations that have been evaluated by a third party is available via Doula Match.
Building a Business
Many doulas take a training workshop without considering the career path they will embark on when the workshop is over.
Most doulas are self-employed or work as independent contractors. There are very few opportunities for doulas to become employees.
Are you ready to start a business?
To open your doula business, you will need to register your business, create a business plan, find an insurance provider, network, advertise your services, and manage legal & financial documents. The best training organizations will provide you with tools and information about how to start your business. You may also choose to consult with a lawyer, accountant and doula mentor or coach.
Even doulas who work for agencies often still need to open their own legal business. Most doula agencies partner with doulas on a referral basis and require you to show proof of your business's registration and legal documents such as contracts and liability insurance.
Personal Life
When considering a career as a doula, you need to decide if this highly demanding career is compatible with your lifestyle. Doula work is taxing, and as you likely know, birth is unpredictable. Is your personal life set up so you can drop everything to go to a quickly progressing birth or begin postpartum doula care for a family whose baby is born early?
If you are a parent, are your children ready for you to be away from home for many hours at a time and overnight? Do you have childcare in place?
Doulas need to have systems to ensure that they are easy to contact when clients go into labor or are ready to begin their postpartum contract.
If you have another job, your employer will need to be flexible and understanding when you are on call or if your schedule changes.
Pet parents need to make arrangements for animal care, should you be called to a prolonged birth or intend to work with postpartum families on a 24/7 or overnight basis.
Reliable transportation is vital to doula work.
Doula Skills
Being a professional doula isn't just hip squeezes and attuning to your client’s needs. The best doulas are:
Organized
Excellent communicators
Compassionate and empathetic
Able to find up-to-date, evidence-based resources with ease
Educated about birth, postpartum recovery, and newborn care
Comfortable with last-minute schedule changes
Creative problem solvers
Reliable and punctual
Timing isn't Everything, but it is Important
Suppose you know you were meant to be a doula but are facing challenges around childcare, reliable phone service, or transportation. In that case, this might not be the time. Many people find that doula work is not suited to having young children at home or struggle to do doula work while breastfeeding. Your current location may be a barrier to being on-call or accessing clients. If the timing isn't right, it's okay to wait until it is. Set your goal and lay out what you need to do and what needs to happen to move forward towards a doula career.
Creative Solutions + Career Options
If 2020 taught us anything, it's that fantastic things can be accomplished virtually! Suppose you're ready to become a doula but not sure how to overcome challenges like childcare or transportation. In that case, you might consider offering online childbirth education classes or virtual doula support.
Work You Love
A doula career is one of the most rewarding professions you can choose. Like all things worth doing, it requires dedication and sacrifice. If you hear the call, we hope this has helped you decide whether you have what it takes to be a doula. We're betting you do!