When you give birth to your beautiful baby, you’ll likely have a labor and delivery team made up of specialists and loved ones that you trust. You may be considering adding a doula to that team to help provide emotional and physical support before, during, and after childbirth. Undoubtedly, you’ll want a doula that you can rely on, especially during the most vulnerable and intimate moments of your life. To help guide you to find the right doula to add to your labor and delivery team, take a look at the four most important questions to ask during your doula interview.
What Training Have You Received?
Certification is not required to become a doula, but it’s important to find a doula certified by the Doulas of North America, now known as DONA International. When a doula is certified, it shows a certain level of accountability, and you can rest easy knowing they’re knowledgeable and have the training necessary to provide you with support. They may also have other certifications or helpful skills, such as acupuncture, massage, or training in the Bradley method.
What Is Your Doula Style?
A doula should be able to tell you what their strengths are and how they intend to advocate for you and support you. Doulas work in a variety of styles and bring different energies to the table. Some may act as your cheerleader, while others may be a silent pillar of support.
No style is necessarily better than another; the right choice simply depends on what you personally need. It’s also important to ask if they intend to work with you after childbirth. Typically, these are known as postpartum doulas, but it’s not uncommon for doulas to offer both childbirth and postpartum services.
Do You Have a Backup Plan?
Ideally, your doula will work with a handful of clients, so there’s less of a chance of schedules overlapping, but even so, things don’t always work out perfectly. If your doula becomes sick or needs to help another client, you need to know what their backup plan is. Do they have another doula or assistant that can show up for you? Do they work as part of a collective? They should have some form of backup, just in case.
What Birth Settings Do You Attend?
You may decide to give birth at home, in a hospital, or at a birth center, but that doesn’t guarantee your doula will follow you anywhere. They may not have experience supporting a client during a home birth, or they may not feel comfortable doing so. It’s important to check where they do and don’t feel comfortable attending a birth and supporting you to ensure they align with your birth plan.
These questions are important to ask during your doula interview and will ultimately help you and your partner find someone who you feel comfortable with. If you just don’t click, they may not be right for you.
Whomever you choose to work with and however you decide to give birth, commemorate that joyous day with our collection of cute pacifier holders. From macrame to breaded leather and more, you’re sure to find a style perfect for you and your baby.