As a certified doula, there are some general respectable tips you’ll need to successfully support families. Respectable, top tips for doulas are like general respectable tips but vary a bit. After all, birth support is unique.
At the International Doula Institute, we strive to ensure our doulas are prepared to work as soon as they complete certification. Our comprehensive training includes service basics. However, there are many things to learn about supporting families.
With our commitment to continued support, we like to provide continuing education in many forms. One of those forms is through this blog. So, here are five top tips for doulas:
Tips For Doulas #1: Always Know Your Role
During our comprehensive training, we require students to understand their scope of practice and role as a doula. We also require students to come up with an “elevator pitch” to ensure they understand how to explain that role.
It is important to be able to tell colleagues, potential families, and even strangers what you do in a brief and respectable way. When you can clearly explain your service and role, you can present yourself in an expert manner.
As the word doula is not always well known, it can be easy to stumble over describing your role. However, if you are not able to clearly describe your role, it can make you sound less skilled. Even if you are the best doula around, if you cannot explain your role, it is hard to land those families to support. That’s why this is one of our most important tips for doulas, know your role.
Tips For Doulas #2: Be Prepared Meeting Families
Receiving potential family inquiries is exciting. However, it is only the start of a potential doula family relationship. When you meet with a potential family, the goal is that they understand your role and see you as expert support.
When you go into a consultation, it is important you present yourself in a respectable way which highlights your expertise. There are many ways to be prepared, but some ways might include:
- Having information packets or handouts
- Using a pre-consultation questionnaire
- Ability to clearly state your role as mentioned above.
- Having a copy of your service agreement
- Be familiar with local birthing facilities, providers, and options.
- Know the answer to common pregnancy and birth questions, or where to look for the answer.
- Be aware of referrals for other providers such as prenatal massage therapists, mental health support, midwives, etc.
As a certified doula, you do not need to have the answer to every question. However, it is important to present yourself as a knowledgeable expert. Being able to confidently respond with evidenced-based information or knowing where to refer them to get that information is important.
#3: Make Networking and Connections Second Nature
As a birth expert, building a reputation where others become familiar with your name is beneficial. While past families you support are excellent with word-of-mouth referrals, getting referrals from fellow experts often goes a long way.
When you can build a reputation among other professionals, your reach tends to grow faster. Potential families seeking support will also see you as an expert when professionals know your name.
Make it a point to carry business cards or be ready to share your contact information. Have your elevator speech ready for networking opportunities.
#4: Have a Respectable and Expert Online Presence
In-person and word of mouth referrals are a great way to expand your reach. However, in the age of search engines like Google, and social media living on everyone’s phone, internet presence can be important.
Take time to present a professional website. You can find many basic one-page website templates. Things you might want to include on your website:
- A clean and professional looking logo
- Clean and clear headshot if desired
- Brief bio including your experience, training, etc.
- Services
- Your location and service area
- Contact information
As you grow, you might want to include a blog. Some also have booking software so potential families can easily schedule a consultation.
Tips For Doulas #5: Present Yourself in an Expert Manner – But Be Authentic!
When going to consultations, it is important to present yourself in a respectable and expert manner. Not all doulas align with or feel comfortable in business casual clothing. If you do, that is a great way to dress. However, some doulas feel more comfortable in scrubs, yoga wear, etc.
The important part of presenting yourself in a respectable manner is not your exact clothing style. It is important to wear clean, well-fitting, and appropriate clothing. It is also okay to recognize regional norms. It may be frowned upon to wear open toed shoes to a consultation in some areas, but if you live in say Hawaii, everyone might be wearing sandals.
It is also important to speak professionally, and address people in an appropriate manner. That said, authenticity is important. Parents are looking to invite someone into their intimate birth space. It is important they get to know you as a person and not just as someone offering a service.
Ultimately, being an expert doula is built over time. But with the above tips, you’ll be there in no time!
Author: Aliza Juliette Bancoff
Aliza Juliette Bancoff is a well-known doula and doula trainer who has been providing doula services to families for over a decade. She is the founder of Main Line Doulas, a doula group providing doula support in the great Philadelphia area for the last decade, the International Doula Institute, which provides online doula training and lactation training and certification programs and the International Breastfeeding Institute which provides lactation training and certification. She is the co-founder of United Birth, a company devoted to increasing access to doulas across the country to make the perinatal time safer both physically and emotionally. “Every birthing person deserves access to quality doula support. And we are working to make that a reality across the country. The work we are doing to get doulas to every birthing person will decrease the black infant and maternal mortality rate significantly by 2030.” Says Bancoff. Aliza is known for her compassionate and empowering approach to doula work, and she has been featured in numerous media outlets, including United Nations Maternal Health Report, Parent Magazine, CafeMom, theBump and many more. Aliza's journey into doula work began when she gave birth to her first child and felt a strong calling...