WHAT TO BEFORE HIRING KNOW A DOULA

Choosing your birth team is key to ensuring your safety, comfort, and confidence during one of the biggest moments of your life.

Bintou Diarra of Global Maternity Education Organization Mama Glow shares what to consider before you decide on a doula.

DO YOUR RESEARCH.

Before hiring a doula, familiarize yourself with the scope of birthwork. So many people are unsure of what doulas actually do, and part of that is because the field is one of great diversity. Birth doulas provide emotional, physical, and informational support to the birthing person before, during, and after childbirth. While a lot of messaging refers to doulas as advocates, the ultimate goal is to arm birthing people with the tools to advocate for themselves.

KNOW THE LIMITS.

Familiarizing yourself with the scope of birthwork also means understanding what doulas don’t do. Doulas experience high rates of burnout, and expectations that do not align with their work is a contributing factor. Doulas do not provide medical advice or perform clinical tasks. They also do not diagnose conditions. They do not make decisions for clients, and they don’t take on the roles and responsibilities of surrounding systems of support.

GET THE DETAILS.

While all birth work is valuable, not everyone has the same amount of experience. For this reason, it may be useful to consider things like certification status, training, and total months or years of experience.

MAKE YOUR PLAN.

Consider what an ideal birthing experience looks like for you. Doulas can provide assistance in crafting a birth plan and can also help in working to ensure that it is enforced at the time of birth.

FIND WHO ALIGNS.

The diversity of birth work extends to the nature of offerings. Every doula has a unique set of skills that they bring to their work. Some doulas may offer cooking and baking services to families as part of their package, while others may offer prenatal yoga sessions as a mode of embodied practice. When choosing a doula, think about which skills and offerings you would most benefit from during your pregnancy and postpartum experience.

FEEL IT OUT.

You won’t mesh well with everyone. Compatibility is especially important within birthwork, as the person will be present at one of the most vulnerable moments of your life. When looking for a doula, consider if the person is someone you feel comfortable sharing space with. Does conversation flow easily? Do you feel comfortable and confident voicing needs and concerns?

Bintou is a doula, first-year medical student, and the Editorial Lead at maternal health and lifestyle brand Mama Glow.