How to Hire a Doula
PALS Doulas recommends that you talk to two or three doulas before you hire one.
- Take a look at the doula profiles on the following pages, then locate doulas that are available for your due date, and pick a few that interest you.
- Contact the doulas you are interested in by phone or email and ask the following questions (you can also visit their website to find answers to some of the following questions):
- What training have you had?
- Do you have one or more backup doulas for times when you are not available? May we meet her/them?
- What is your fee, what does it include and what are your refund policies?
- Tell me about your experience as a birth doula.
- What is your philosophy about birth and supporting women and their partners through labor?
- May we meet to discuss our birth plans and the role you will play in supporting me through birth?
- May we call you with questions or concerns before and after the birth?
- When do you try to join women in labor? Do you come to our home or meet us at the place of birth?
- Do you meet with us after the birth to review the labor and answer questions?
- Once you have talked to a few doulas on the phone, it is a good idea to meet at least two of them for an in-person interview. This is an opportunity for you and your partner to see how you feel in the doula’s presence, and ask more questions of the doula. Since doulas support both a woman and her partner, it is strongly recommended that both parents attend the interviews.
- When you meet with a doula at an interview, pay attention to how well she listens, how well she communicates, her comfort with you and your birth choices, and her level of knowledge and experience. The doula with which you feel most comfortable may be able to offer you more support than the doula with the most experience.
If you need any help during any step of this process, please call the PALS Doulas Referral Line for assistance at 206-329-7257.