You Should Be A Doula If…

Countless couples leave their birth grateful for one special person: their doula. A doula makes a difference. Many a woman leaves her own birth inspired to be a doula herself. How do you know if this desire to serve women during childbearing is something that’s right for you? Let’s talk about some traits that can help make you an incredible doula.

You should be a doula if you are a peacemaker.

You should be a doula if you are a peacemaker. The ability to make peace with a situation and with others is integral to doula work. A calm presence will lend calm to the entire birth environment, and particularly to the laboring woman.

You should be a doula if you can support all births.

Anyone who learns about birth develops opinions and preferences. For a doula, their own personal opinions can’t influence how they support their clients in birth. Sometimes by choice, other times by circumstance, your clients will birth in any and all ways, even ways you would never choose for yourself.

If you can support them and their choices, no matter what, then you should be a doula.

You should be a doula if you listen.

It is so much easier to talk than to listen. As a doula, it is imperative that you listen. Listen to their desires. Listen to their fears. Listen to their birth stories. Listen to their struggles and their triumphs. This simple act is powerful and for birthing women, it’s often not something that very few people will give them.

You should be a doula if you know your worth.

For many, the desire to be a doula can feel so overwhelming that it could be described as a calling. The lifestyle is unique, the sacrifices are real, and the intensity is undeniable. You can still request and receive payment for your role as a doula, despite your love of the job and even though it feels like something you need to do.

You should be a doula if you have a good rapport at the hospital.

Birth is a subject that inspires passion. We know you have opinions about how things should be done. Birth practices vary from one place to another. No matter what happens at the birthplace, one valuable thing a doula can do is get along with others. Having a good rapport at the hospital helps your client have a better birth, it builds your reputation as competent, and it helps define the role of doula as a legitimate profession in the hospital.

You should be a doula if you also have support.

Doula work does not fit into a 9-5 schedule. You can’t necessarily drop your children off at school, go to work, and be back in time for pick-up. If you have children, you will need reliable childcare that can come at a moment’s notice. If you have another full-time job, you will need some flexibility to leave for a birth as needed. If you are going to births frequently, you will need to take some time for self-care, sleep, and restorative activities. You’ll need other people in your life that you can rely on so your doula clients can rely on you.

You can still be a doula if…

There are a lot of qualities that a doula needs. She does not need to have given birth. A doula doesn’t need to know everything or be able to answer all the questions. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be willing to listen and able to learn.

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Be inspired by birth. Be inspired to be a doula. Be inspired to make a difference in the lives of others. You don’t have to know everything about birth to be a doula. You just need to care, listen to, and value the birth experience.