Eleven Questions You Should Ask at a Doula Interview
You want to hire a doula and you want to hire a doula that is great match for your needs. So set up those interviews! But also, don’t think of your meetings with potential doulas like a job interview, think of them like a time to chat with someone in a casual and friendly way. You are looking see how easy they are to talk to, how well they listen to you, and to see if they are a good fit to help you prepare for the birth you want. A really good doula interview is probably going to have you talking way more than the doula!
Here are a few questions to get you started.
Why did you choose to become a doula?
What training or certification do you carry?
Tell me about your backup situation. How often, and why. might you need to us a a backup doula?
Tell me about one of your favorite doula birth stories. What are the things that made you enjoy that birth?
What is your birth plan. Share this with the doula and ask if she has experience in helping couples prepare for and achieve this type of birth..
What does communication look like prenatally with the doula?
How many times do you recommend that we meet prenatally and when are these appointments generally scheduled?
Have you previously worked with the hospital or care provider that you are using? Tell me more about a birth you have attending with my provider.
How do you help involve the partner or other family members in the birth experience?
Do you have additional training in lactation and what support can I expect postpartum?
Is the labor support that you offer unlimited, or will I be charged for extra hours after a certain amount of time?
I also suggest find out some other personal things about each other. Who knows what you have in common. I have spent time in interviews talking about pickleball - and while it is not about birth, sharing other interests is a good connection on which to start building your relationship. I was once hired when it was discovered that the potential clients interviewing me went to Disney every year and so did I. We mostly talked about Disney during the interview and to this day, hundreds of clients later, they are still one of my favorite couples that I have doula-ed. You never know.