All posts tagged: newborn care specialist

Do I Really Need to Hire a Postpartum Doula So Far in Advance?

November 8, 2024 Kathryn Keener
Do I Really Need to Hire a Postpartum Doula So Far in Advance?

Many expectant parents understandably are reluctant to commit to an exact schedule for postpartum doula support when the reality of birth and the newborn stage still seems so far off and comes with so many unknowns. 

As an agency owner, I have an insider’s view of the doula community, how they plan and allocate their services, and how families can best ensure they have the right kind of support for their particular needs. This knowledge can help families to avoid scrambling at the last minute or settling for a service provider that doesn’t feel “just right” for their family.

The truth is, I see over and over again that the very best postpartum doulas and newborn care specialists get scooped up many months in advance. This is largely because families that have great experiences with these doulas sing their praises and refer them to friends. Sometimes, a friend who is only two or three months pregnant (or less!) will book a doula recommended to them because they’ve heard such glowing reviews.

The scheduling can be hard to wrap your head around, so here’s an example: At the time of this writing it’s early November, and there are families due in July of next year, for example. If those families know they want three full months of doula support, and they hire a doula who came highly recommended, that doula will be booked for July, August and September of next year – almost a year in advance.

This example might sound like an outlier, but the truth is even if they don’t book a year in advance, many doulas are booked four to seven months in advance – and many families don’t start their search process until they are seven to eight months pregnant, which creates some real stress for them when they’re not finding a good match so close to baby’s arrival. While they might be more comfortable waiting until the third trimester when everything feels more real, the supply of available doulas could be very limited by that point. Starting the research, contacting recommended doulas, or reaching out to a doula agency between 2-3 months into your pregnancy will greatly impact the choices available to you.

By planning early, you’re more likely to find a doula who:

  • Lives nearby or travels to your location
  • Is available for your due date and the weeks or months following
  • Offers the number of shifts per week you’re hoping for
  • Offers the type of shifts you’re hoping for (nights if you’re hoping for nights, days if you’re hoping for days, since not all doulas offer both)
  • Isn’t allergic to your pets, if you have any
  • And most importantly, has the personality you click with right away and qualifications you’re looking for

Planning last minute doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t find support, but often the doulas available at that point are either newer to the field, or are already partially booked and may not have the exact availability you’re hoping for. (Now, some newer doulas are still fantastic of course! But in general, the range of options available – whether experience level or travel range, etc – will just be more limited). Because uncertainty about exactly what type of schedule you might need could be one thing holding you up, in another upcoming blog post we’ll help walk you through what to consider when landing on a desired schedule with your postpartum doula or newborn care specialist. (Or, if you’re in San Diego or Orange County and searching for a postpartum doula, you can fill out our contact form to schedule a call with us and discuss this one on one!) 

In case this is leaving you with a feeling of overwhelm about putting your plans in place… we’ll end on a positive note: When families find the perfect doula, and lock in the support… they feel such a sense of relief and a sense of security. While much about the newborn days is unpredictable… knowing that you have support lined up does wonders for the jitters and anxiety over what’s to come!

Kathryn KeenerDo I Really Need to Hire a Postpartum Doula So Far in Advance?
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The Top Three Reasons for Doula Burnout

March 6, 2024 Kathryn Keener
The Top Three Reasons for Doula Burnout

In preparing to speak at the DONA International annual conference last year, I polled an online doula community about what factors either threatened, or ultimately led to, their burnout. Three main areas presented themselves:

  • Income Related Reasons 
  • Stress/Quality of Life
  • Isolation/Lack of Support

The income-related reasons had a lot to do with how hard it can be to anticipate income. Postpartum doulas are tasked with finding new assignments every few months, with potential gaps in between, and birth doulas may find the number of births per month varies and can’t always be known very far in advance, for example. There’s also sometimes trepidation about charging “too much,” either because there’s a culture that says doing this kind of work shouldn’t make you a lot of money (that’s for a whole other blog post) or because a doula is afraid of not being hired if their rate is too high. Many doulas also don’t account for the amount of unpaid time that is required to run a business.

Stress and quality of life are also contributing factors to burnout for a number of reasons. Sometimes doulas commit to a bigger workload than is sustainable for them, in part due to the concern about unpredictable income, or sometimes due to difficulty and discomfort with setting boundaries. (Have you ever had a family book 3 nights/week, which let’s say is your max… and then convince you to add more nights when you know from experience that 3 is your limit?!) Many doulas also reported that they thought they could work a certain number of overnights/week to make a certain level of income, or take a certain number of births per month… and then learned it was too hard on the body (whether that be the overnights/sleep deprivation, or the on-call lifestyle and irregular hours). In our previous blog post, we shared some tips (and a free download) for setting boundaries and preserving your quality of life while doing this important work!

A lack of support is another challenge to the longevity of doulas in the field. First, being a good doula does not mean having all of the know-how to run a business, and therefore many doulas report feeling overwhelmed in that area, without a reliable resource for the myriad of questions they have. Second, doula trainings can only prepare a doula for so much, and can only cover a certain percentage of possible scenarios they will encounter, and so there is a lot of “on the ground” learning that has to happen, that leads to a need to process with peers and mentors, seek feedback, and feel a sense of camaraderie. Without this support, the likelihood of a doula learning and growing in order to thrive is diminished. 

Knowing these potential traps and challenges can benefit a new or aspiring doula, and help them to enter on a career path with realistic expectations, and strategies for making this work sustainable for them. We’re passionate about helping doulas prevent burnout – to benefit them, and all of the potential families they may serve along the way! For this reason, we’ve launched The Postpartum Doula Career Roadmap, packed with tips on setting up your business for sustainability and success. Click here to access the pre-sale offer and be among the first to dive into the course at a special discounted rate before it’s fully released! 

Kathryn KeenerThe Top Three Reasons for Doula Burnout
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Thinking of Becoming a Postpartum Doula? Make Sure You Have These Four Things in Place

April 6, 2021 Kathryn Keener
Thinking of Becoming a Postpartum Doula? Make Sure You Have These Four Things in Place

We’ve been recruiting and mentoring doulas for over 10 years, and fielding questions from people who are curious about becoming a postpartum doula. If that’s you, start here to make sure you know what to expect and how to set yourself up for success!  

Relevant Background

This work is great for someone who has a background in a relevant field such as early childcare, nursing, nannying, childbirth education, or other caretaking professions. If you don’t have much hands-on experience with newborns, we’d encourage you to dive in with that however you can to build confidence – help out some friends or family, volunteer at a hospital/NICU if you can (these opportunities can be hard to come by),… and if you lack in-person opportunities, start to watch some how-to videos on YouTube (regarding bathing, swaddling, soothing, etc…) Perhaps you could even attend a Newborn Care Class meant for new parents, or a breastfeeding support group, if the instructor and group would permit that. And while newborn care is a critical part of the role, we would ask you to think carefully if you’re getting into this work only for your love of babies – you are there to support the whole family, and your role is infinitely more complex than just baby care. 

Right Temperament

You need to be able to adapt to each family’s needs, as well as their widely varied styles and preferences. The goal is nonjudgmental support, so you’re going to need to be able to let go of strong feelings you may have about the “best” ways to do certain things. You’ll have to feel out (and ask!) whether they’re wanting input and information, or whether they just want things done a certain way. Families generally want someone who can “read the room,” and know when it’s a good time to engage, vs a good time to quietly find tasks that will help to support the needs at hand. They’re not always going to want to feel like they have “company” and sometimes they don’t want to have to come up with things for you to do, so taking initiative – with their consent – will be important. Some new parents will have a lot on their minds, will be looking for a listening ear… and you’ll form a close and intimate relationship. Others are more private, and you’ll have to figure out how to communicate with them while respecting their space. As you can see, communication skills and an ability to adapt are critical to having the right temperament for this work!

Appropriate Training

We hear from aspiring doulas that they feel an immense pressure to choose the “right” doula training. Here’s some good news about that – we really feel you should not pick just one. Start with one, of course. Then build some traction with your business. Once you have earned some money, and have some paying clients lined up… consider taking another training (perhaps a year later). You’ll gain some insight and learn something new at each one. 

A main consideration for training is choosing between in-person, pre-recorded, or live virtual trainings. We tend to lean towards in-person or live virtual trainings because they are more dynamic, provide more opportunities to ask questions and learn from the participation of other attendees. That said, you know your learning style best, so take that into consideration as well. Then, there’s the mission and brand of the training organization you will want to get a feel for. We talk about this more in our workshop, Career 101 for Postpartum Doulas (more information below!)

Realistic Expectations

Too many people get into this work without truly understanding what it takes to make it work, or how to set boundaries to avoid burnout. You need to understand that due dates are unpredictable, so many of your plans will be tentative (What will you do to best accommodate the family if the baby comes early and overlaps with another client or other plans? What will you do if baby comes late and has a NICU stay, delaying your income by a few weeks?) If your availability is very limited and rigid, you may not be a good fit for this work or will need to at least understand that many families will want to select a doula who has more flexibility. At the same time, having some clear boundaries is important. 

Questions you will want to consider:

Will you offer day shifts? Night shifts? A combination? What’s your ideal number of hours per week and is there room for that to fluctuate, given that some families want to start with more support and scale back, or vice versa? Will you need backup support? What will your arrangement be with that person? Does joining an agency make more sense for you?

Families’ needs will often shift and change, and you will benefit if you have explained clearly in advance, both in your interview and your contract, what changes you can and can’t accommodate – and what that means for the financial commitment they have made to you. It’s a balance to strike, offering some flexibility to the family while still being able to accurately predict your income over a given period of time. 

Once you’ve reflected on these four areas, you’ll be much more prepared to start this career path with your eyes open and your doula feet nimble! We go deeper into these considerations, as well as other issues such as scope and scheduling, in our Postpartum Doula Career Roadmap. Click here to access the pre-sale offer and get started with an exclusive discount before the full course is released!

Kathryn KeenerThinking of Becoming a Postpartum Doula? Make Sure You Have These Four Things in Place
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The Top 3 Tools for Finding the Perfect Doula Match

February 17, 2021 Kathryn Keener , ,

Not every family is looking for the same thing when hiring a Postpartum Doula. Some really prize experience, in the form of years working as a doula, and/or families served. Others put more emphasis on the personal “fit,” how they emotionally connect with this person, whether they have the right energy and approach for their family (along with, of course, professional training and some amount of relevant experience). Some parents value life experience more than they value professional experience, and still others have specialty area requests like a doula with extra lactation education, or experience working with twins or premature infants.

As part of our specialized matchmaking process we’ve sent many doulas out to many interviews over the years, and learned from the clients and from the doulas what resonated and went well, and what left the families feeling uncertain about the match. We’ve counseled our doulas before and after interviews about how best to communicate their particular strengths and offerings to the families, and how to establish a connection and to model what it would be like for the family to have that doula as a caretaker and support person, so that the family can make an informed decision that they feel confident in! From our experience, finding that perfect doula match all comes down to these three main tools or components: the bio, the interview, the references.

The Bio

The doula’s bio can serve to paint a picture of the doula’s qualifications and personality. It will include their training information, their philosophy towards support or their “why,” other relevant work experience, advanced trainings, and areas of expertise. The bio is often what opens the doors of communication– but it’s just a starting point! While it’s helpful to get a feel for what has led the doula to this line of work, we caution doulas not to go into too much detail about their own birth or postpartum experience, due to the fact that families want to make sure the doula is coming with an open mind and with their focus on that family’s experience, not with any personal agenda.

The Interview

The interview is a chance for the doula and parents to connect and get to know each other. We encourage doulas to just be comfortable in their own skin, and help the families get a sense of what it will be like to have that doula in their home! The doula will likely ask questions about the family’s goals and expectations for their postpartum period. The family might ask that the doula expand on what’s in her bio, and ask how they have supported other families. There can be talk of scheduling parameters and availability, fees if that hasn’t been covered prior, how any potential needs for backup support might be handled. These days it can also be a time to check in about expectations about social distancing and other covid-related questions. The interview is the opportunity for both parties to determine it’s a good fit and that they’d like to move forward.

The References

If you’re working with an agency such as ours, you may opt to skip this step due to the vetting that is part of our process (including calling references, and continually seeking feedback from families). Otherwise, checking in with a few families that a doula has previously served is a great way to gain insight into their philosophy towards care and their energetic presence in the home. Questions to ask include: What role did the doula play in the household? Did it change over time? How did they present themselves each day? Were they higher energy and personable, or lower energy and calming? How did their presence make you feel? How did they share information with you? Were they direct, or did they wait for you to ask for advice? Hearing their answers may help you gain clarity on what exactly you’re looking for and which of these factors are most important to you!

Both the bio and the interview work to establish a connection and to model what it would be like for the family to have that doula as a caretaker and support person, so that the family can make an informed decision that they feel good about. Calling references (or going through an agency that has done so) provides that added reassurance that helps you feel confident in your choice.

Parents!

If you’d like to get started with our Doula Matching Services, just fill out this brief form if you haven’t already. We’ll send you some additional information, then schedule an intake call, and then if you’re interested in moving forward, we’ll narrow down the search and send you bios of the doulas we feel would be a great match! There’s a little more info about our network of doulas here.

Doulas!

We’ve used our years of matchmaking experience to develop a prerecorded workshop, The Bio and Interview Masterclass for Doulas, where we can help you understand what families are looking for. We help make sure you are communicating your strengths and relevant experience in your written materials, such as your Doula Bio. We also help you with interview strategies that serve to set the tone, anticipate common interview questions, and communicate your value. Whether you’re a brand new doula or have been practicing for years, the interview process has the potential to transform your business and multiply your opportunities. Join us to make sure you are catching your clients’ attention and getting hired! Find more information here.

Kathryn KeenerThe Top 3 Tools for Finding the Perfect Doula Match
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About the Author:

Kathryn Keener is a postpartum doula and owner of One Moon Doula Services in San Diego, CA. She previously worked as a mediator of various types of disputes for almost 15 years. Both careers have given her a unique glimpse into the personal lives of people in the midst of life's changes and life's challenges. Here on her blog she muses about parenthood in the United States, including issues such as sleep deprivation, changing roles and identities, work/life balance, policies surrounding birth and postpartum, and forging our own communities and support so we don't have to go it alone.

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