How to Find a Doula for your Birth

Step #1: Find a list of available birth doulas in your area. Here’s some good resources for that:

• Ask your childbirth educator, midwife, or doctor for referrals.
• For Seattle area doulas, call PALS at (206)325-1419 or see Seattle resource list here. A list with current availability is here.
• Doulas of North America (DONA). (888)788-DONA. www.dona.org DONA is the major North American doula organization, and on their website, you can get referrals to certified doulas in many cities.
• www.doulaworld.com is a website which allows you to search for doulas in your area. The information on the site will tell you whether or not they are certified, and what their experience level is.
• Doula Network: http://doulanetwork.com/ Searchable: for a keyword, enter the city you live in.
• There are a number of doulas who have personal websites up. Try a google search, and see what you come up with.

Step #2: From this list, and any additional information you can find out, pick 3 – 5 doulas to contact (with a backup list in case they’re all booked up.)

Step #3: Call the doulas you’ve chosen and do a brief phone interview with them.

• Tell them you’re doing an initial phone interview of 3 – 5 doulas, to get a sense of who might be a good match for you and your needs.
• Find out if they are available for your due date. Find out a little more about their experience, the skills and attitudes they bring to a birth. Find out about fees and other practical details.
• Most importantly, in this phone call, you’re checking out “the vibes”. Is this someone you think you could be comfortable with? If so, set up an in-person interview.

Step #4: Meet with one or more doulas in person.

• Find out more about them, tell them more about you and your birth plan.
• See if you have compatible philosophies, and if you think the style of support they offer would be helpful to you.
• If the interaction doesn’t feel right to you, then let them know that, and try interviewing other doulas! Although training and experience and fee structure are all important factors in the selection, the most important factor is: do you and your partner feel comfortable with this person. Would you feel comfortable having her at your birth, and do you think she would be a good support for you? All of us have different personalities and styles, and sometimes the chemistry just doesn’t feel right. Trust this instinct and move on.

Step #5: Hire a doula and start working together on the details of your birth plan.

• Once you have found “the right doula”, start making arrangements with her for your birth.
• If you need a few days to decide, tell them this, but do make your decision soon, otherwise your doula may have to pass up prospective clients while waiting for your decision.
• Most doulas will ask for a deposit before going on-call. This is because when we commit to a birth, it’s a major commitment: it means not taking other clients for that time period, it means not going out of town, or making social plans that can’t be re-scheduled, and taking a cell phone everywhere we go. We have chosen the job knowing the level of this commitment, but it is also important to us that our clients honor that: if at some point you decide not to use a doula as planned, it is very important to call and let them know that so they can make other commitments.

Back for more information about doulas

For another article on finding a doula: www.greatstarts.org/articles_newsletter/feature/doula.htm

c. Janelle Durham, 2003