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Writer's pictureNutured Birth Ottawa

10 Important questions to ask a postpartum doula during your interview!


Ottawa postpartum doula being interviewed by a potential client. The two women are waving at each other across the screen.


In preparation for interviewing a potential postpartum doula, parents often find themselves turning to the internet for guidance on the most important questions to ask during the interview process. It's understandable that you would want to be prepared! It's not every day that you interview someone who will be supporting you during such an important and vulnerable time. Deciding what to ask your potential postpartum doula is an important part of making an informed decision. And the quality of the questions is just as important! What do you really need to know? What will matter the most?


The truth is, not all questions carry the same weight. For example, the number of postpartum contracts a doula has had, or whether they have children of their own, may not actually matter. What might matter more is what the doula believes is their greatest strength as a postpartum support provider, their approach to nurturing the new mother and infant, and ensuring they have a reliable backup plan in case something happens that prevents them from being present on the day of support.


Here are my top 10 discussion points for your postpartum doula interview! These questions will allow you to confidently decide if the doula aligns with your needs and values for postpartum support for you and your family:

1. What made you want to become a postpartum doula? What do you love most about supporting families during the postpartum period?


2. Are you a trained postpartum doula? If yes, what organization did you do your training though? Do you take continuing education courses to keep your skills relevant and up to date?


4. Do you offer any prenatal sessions to discuss the type of postpartum support I will need? Can you please walk me through what the process looks like from hiring through to postpartum?


5. How many clients do you take on each month? Do you offer daytime and overnight support? Do you have a backup doula that covers for you if you have an emergency or become sick?


6. What kind of support do you provide during the postpartum period? Are there any specific skills or tools that are your preferred ways of supporting families?


3. Do you have special training in infant feeding? Breastfeeding? Bottle feeding?


7. Do you have any additional skills or certifications that support your role as a postpartum doula? Do you offer any add on services such as nutrition, meal prep, postpartum reflexology or babywearing?


8. How do you support parents in making decisions during the postpartum? Will you provide guidance and resources to make informed decisions relating to maternal and newborn care?


9.What does a typical postpartum shift look like for you? Do you offer any support above and beyond caring for me and my new baby? Do you do any light cooking or cleaning, laundry or run errands?


10. What are your fees and what services do they include? Do you have payment plans available? When are payments due? What are our next steps?


At Nurtured Birth we call our initial meeting a "Doula Discovery Call." A discovery call is a free 30-45 minute virtual call between a doula and potential client. It gives families the opportunity to have their questions answered and to get a feel for whether the doula would be the right fit for them. This is a very important step! All doulas are different and not every doula will be the right one for you. Taking the time to get to know the doula, and their approach to postpartum support, will help you feel confident in making the decision to hire them as part of your perinatal team! However, our discovery calls are so much more than an interview as they are more informative and conversational than a - you ask questions we answer them - kind of situation. We begin the process of careful listening to gain an understanding of our potential clients so we can provide them with the guidance and recommendations that will benefit them, regardless of whether they hire us or not.


Interested in scheduling a Doula Discovery Call? Please contact us to schedule!


This post was written by Ottawa Doula, and Ottawa Prenatal Nutritionist, Julia Davie. Her approach to birth work is heart centered, holistic and inclusive. She is honored to support families in Ottawa, Gatineau, and the surrounding areas.

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