Tips for interviewing a BIRTH doula

Birth doulas are all about preparing your mind, body and soul for your birth experience. We facilitate important conversations between you and your partner about how they can best support you through all stages of labor. We are also your advocates, giving you continuous support through your birthing process.

Which means that finding the right doula is imperative to giving you the best possible birthing experience. So what are some of the questions you should ask when interviewing doulas?

There are lots of checklists online to help you prepare for a doula interview. But as doulas who go on consultations several times a month, we have to tell you that honestly, most of those checklists miss the mark.

The best interviews feel more like a conversation than a Q&A session. Feels like having coffee with a friend.

Be willing to share about yourself - the interview is a two-way street! Be ready to share your ideas around birth and how you hope a doula can support you.

Below you'll find a list of questions we recommend when searching for your best fit.

1. Describe the path that led you to become a doula
2. What is your approach to working with your clients during birth and how do you support partners?
3. What is your approach to working with care providers? When it's going smoothly and when there are bumps in the road?
4. How do you navigate the topic of informed consent in your role as a doula?
5. What does advocacy mean to you? What is a doula's role in advocacy?
6. What is your favorite item in your doula bag?
7. What is your back-up arrangement?

Something important to note:

You're looking for the best fit over their experience. Don't judge a doula by their own birth experience or by the number of births they have attended. Every birth is different and since they are not medical providers, the most important thing is your connection and sense of trust and alignment of values that matter most.

And last but not least...

Be cautious if a doula is focused on a particular birth outcome - doulas cannot guarantee your birth will go to the vision you have. A good doula will be open-minded that birth can go many directions and are focused on supporting you through all your decisions no matter how birth goes. They are comfortable and ready for all outcomes.