I thought I would give you a glimpse into what a given day might look like for a busy doula, whether she works as a solo doula, or for an agency. There are pros and cons to each scenario which is for another discussion but I will give you a picture of how their day might unfold as they pursue their craft.
A solo doula might begin her day with office work where she will post an encouraging meme for pregnant moms on FaceBook in addition to posting a breastfeeding blog on her website. She may reach out to a few colleagues (chiropractor, massage therapist, lactation consultant, etc) with a referral or to collaborate on an upcoming business event. While checking her emails she may respond, with a phone call or email, to potential clients who connected with her through her website. While speaking to this potential client she gets her address to mail her a welcome packet that contains more information about her services. Finally, her morning office tasks are complete after a few business calls are tackled.
After concluding her office work her next task might be to perform a home visit for a birth client who recently delivered her baby. During this visit she may pick up on some cues that breastfeeding may not be going well due to a possible tongue tie so she refers mom to an IBCLC for further investigation. She provides a listening ear as mom recounts how her days have passed since returning home from the hospital. Upon further inquiry she realizes that both mom and dad are extremely overwhelmed due to very little sleep and little in home assistance. She decides to recommend the family consider hiring a Postpartum Doula to support them over the next few weeks. Before ending the postpartum visit she and the client will recap the labor/delivery by reviewing the log the doula kept during mom’s labor and they discuss whatever the client chooses to focus on.After her appointment with her client she has a working lunch with a local chiropractor to exchange marketing material and familiarize herself with their practice and clientele. She also discusses her doula services and how she can work with chiropractic patients for better labor and delivery outcomes. During her lunch she is taking a few minutes to text a client regarding some pregnancy discomforts mom has been experiencing and offers advice that may be helpful.
The independent contractor who is working with a doula agency may check in with the office staff regarding a new assignment that has been handed off to her. She will be reaching out to the expectant couple to set up her first prenatal visit. She may also be prepping for an afternoon staff gathering wherein personnel will be updated on upcoming changes that pertain to local birth workers. She also will update her business calendar with the mandatory trainings scheduled for all workers as well as the CPR class needed to maintain her current certification. Her day might end with an over dinner staff meeting for agency workers.
The life of a birth doula is a very rewarding one filled with the opportunity to wear many hats such as office manager, educator, encourager, supporter, teacher, etc. The birth doula has the power to speak words of life to her clients as she links arms with them on their path to parenthood. I wouldn’t trade this work for anything.
Ruth Green is a trained professional birth and postpartum doula serving Richmond and Farmville, Virginia area. She is a married Christian mother of 13 hospital and home-birthed children that has experience working with midwives and doctors in both home and hospital settings since 1992. Find more blog posts from Ruth here on the website!
