During our years of meeting potential clients, we have been asked some great questions about why we are the ideal birth and postpartum doulas for you in the Triangle area. Today, we are highlighting some great questions that someone should always ask their doula prior to hiring them to ensure that they are a good fit.
What is your philosophy on birth?
This is a tricky question for clients because they want the doula to align with their own philosophies. Naturally, you want to surround yourself with like minded people! Plus, you want someone that stands for something! If I had a friend say their approach to life was eh, nothing, whatever, I probably wouldn’t want to be their friend. However, we at Carolina Birth and Wellness believe that in the doula relationship, the best answer is one that is non-committal. Our answer to this question is, we don’t have one. Professional, we are there to support you and only you, so our personal opinions never enter into how we will support you and your family.
When do you go on call?
This question varies as much as the model of doula teams vary. We believe a doula should always be on call for you, and thus, we are on call at contract signing. Whether you have your baby at 36 weeks, or 42 weeks, you can be sure there is no “on-call window” you need to be in for us to support you.
Who is your back up doula?
Life happens. Especially when you have kids, pets, parents, siblings, etc. So the way that we are able to provide 24/7 on-call support for our client is to work in a team of doulas. Rather than having a back-up, we working in a team. While you may not know which doula will be on call for your birth, you know one of the two will. There is no guessing who will show up, and there definitely won’t be any awkward introductions while you are mid-contraction.
How many prenatal appointments do you offer?
Meeting and building a relationship prior to your birth can be very helpful for many clients. This gives everyone a change to get to know one another, learn communication styles that work (and don’t work), and most importantly, learn about you, the birth person! Our doulas offer two prenatal appointments, and the team can either come together or conduct them individual, whatever works better for you. During these prenatal appointments, they are asking you questions, letting you voice your desires, hearing from your partner, and letting you get to know us as doulas. We feel these two prenatal appointments are great for everyone to build that individual relationship so there establish trust on the day fo your birth.
What other services do you offer?
Depending on your needs, it can be great to find a doula that provides more than doula support. At Carolina Birth and Wellness, we offer prenatal and postpartum massage, placenta encapsulation, belly binding, and wonderful educational classes!
What support do you offer in between prenatal appointments?
Since our doulas are always on call for you, we are always there for you! We will check in with you, remember important dates or appointments you bring up, as well as provider informational emails about the stage of pregnancy you are in! We also have a Facebook group that is only open to our clients, so it is a great way to connect with other parents, as well as ask any questions you may have!
What made you become a doula?
We think this a great question because it allows you to see the passion that all doulas have for this work! I won’t give any spoilers away, but I know for a fact our doulas are passionate and committed to advancing maternal health and absolutely love their work!
