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Episode 73: Doula Business Wrap Up
Doula business year in review. As the year comes to a close there are many important tasks to complete in order to close out the current year and anticipate and plan for how to proceed into the new year. As doulas, it’s important to review every aspect of our business with a critical eye. Our first goal is to determine what is working and what needs to be changed. Should we stay with the same systems, or are there improvements to be made? Does our process from contact to contract run smoothly? Or do we need to change our process to result in more client conversions? Do our contracts still…
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Episode 72: Year of the Doula
If there is one thing that 2021 has taught us it is that this has been the year of the doula. Navigating through 2021, doulas still feel the impact of visitor restrictions. Restrictions that limit their ability to provide in-person support. But at the same time, doulas across the globe have seen exponential growth in their business. Underscoring these business successes is the ability to pivot. Doulas denied access to in-person support, pivoted to virtual support. Others approached local birth facilities to underscore the importance of doula support. As a result, doulas negotiate with facilities to allow doulas access to in-person support. While the discourse of these restrictions plays out,…
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Episode 71: Supporting Adoption: Adoptive Parent(s)
November is National Adoption Month and so we continue the second part of our Supporting Adoption series. For some, adoption has always been a part of the plan for growing their family. For others, adoption is an option that is considered due to infertility, loss, or other unanticipated circumstances. In this episode, we take a look at how to support adoptive parents who will welcome a new baby to their family in the days or weeks after birth. As a doula, supporting the adoptive family can come in many forms. If the adoptive family will be present for the birth, a childbirth education class may be beneficial. Especially for those…
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Bonus Episode: Adoptee Trauma
Trigger Warning: This episode discusses suicide, self-harm, and addiction. When you mention adoption, for most individuals it brings to mind a solution. A solution for infants and children who are in need of homes and loving families. Yet what rarely comes to mind is the psychological and physical impact of adoption on adoptees. Adoption, specifically the separation of an infant or child from their biological mother creates what is called the primal wound. As defined by Nancy Verrier, author of The Primal Wound: “…the primal wound, a wound which is physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual, a wound which causes pain so profound as to have been described as cellular by…
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Episode 70: Supporting Adoption: Birth Parent(s)
November is National Adoption Month. This month we are going to focus on supporting adoption from the side of the birthing person and the side of the adoptive parents. There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding adoption. Some misconceptions surrounding the preferred language. Misconceptions about what “type” of birthing person chooses an adoption plan. One of the biggest misconceptions is that adoption is a positive experience for all of those involved. Like most topics we discuss, there is a lot of nuance surrounding how to support adoption. As a doula supporting adoption, it’s important to give thought as to how you will support the birthing person regardless of who is…
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Episode 69: Sliding Scales
 A question we see frequently in doula forums is about sliding scales. Who uses them? How do you determine the low and high end of the scale? How do you make sure that those who can afford to pay, are honest about their ability to pay? Some doulas will approach setting their fees on a scale from a perspective of access for those who may otherwise be unable to pay. Others will utilize a sliding scale as a part of work that they consider charitable. Establishing a sliding scale requires several calculations. How much money do you need to be profitable? Have you established is the estimated amount of…
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Episode 68: Understanding SIDS
October is SIDS Awareness Month. Trigger warning: This episode discusses infant loss. As birth workers, one of the most common concerns families face is the health and well-being of their babies. As postpartum doulas, understanding SIDS is a topic of great importance to doulas and parents alike. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS is the sudden death of an infant under one year of age. The death is unexpected and has no known cause. SIDS is the leading cause of death of infants under one year of age. Approximately 90% of SIDS deaths occur before the baby is six months old. It is important to understand that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome…
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Episode 67: The Rainbow Experience
October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month. Trigger warning: This episode discusses pregnancy & infant loss. The term Rainbow Baby is to define a pregnancy that happens after a miscarriage or infant loss. It signifies the hope or rainbow that comes after the storm or loss of a child. All too often the communities that surround families who have experienced loss seem to forget or overlook the experience this family has weathered before. Using the term rainbow baby often helps families to remember, identify and acknowledge what came before. The loss of a child. By using this language it gives the family an opportunity to disclose more about their…
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Episode 66: The Backup Doula
When an individual sets out to become a doula, the focus is often on workshops, birth bags, or the “things” that the doula or client may need. However, many individuals often leave out the most essential tool that a doula will ever have. The backup doula. While the thought of having or being a backup doula seems simple, in fact, the process from either side is actually quite complex. We often see individuals who express a willingness to be a backup for other doulas, especially when they may not be able to commit to taking on clients of their own fully. Or perhaps, who have difficulty finding their own clients.…
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Episode 65: Choosing A Doula Training
One of the most common questions we see in doula forum is “Which doula training should I choose?” When it comes to choosing a doula training, there are a lot of factors to consider. Some are more important than others. It’s important to consider the community and the birth climate that you will practice in as a doula. Yet for many, cost will be a primary consideration. From workshop registration fees, to certification packets, required reading books, membership fees, to recertification fees the costs for becoming a doula can add up fast depending on the organization you choose. Other factors to consider may be scope of practice, and code of…
