Hiring A Doula
Finding the right doula for you should not be hard, but as an essential part of your birthing team, you want to make sure you cover all bases. So here’s some guidance on important factors which you may want to take into consideration.
Your doula will be supporting you through one of life’s most powerful experiences, one that is intimate and intense both physically and emotionally. So when meeting a prospective doula, it’s important that you and your partner:
THE HIRING PROCESS
Step-by-Step
Interviewing A Doula
During your initial phone chat, and the in-person meeting, you will have the chance to tell the doula a bit about your expectations, the support you’re looking for, and if interviewing a birth doula, the birth you envision for your baby. This is also your opportunity to learn a bit about them.
To assist you in making a decision, here are a few questions you may wish to ask your doula when you meet them:
What training and courses have you undertaken?
What is your certification status?
Are you a member of an accredited association?
How can you help me achieve the birth I envision?
Have you attended births at the hospital we are going to (or home births, if applicable)?
Can you describe the service that you provide?
Do you use a contract?
Do you have a back-up doula? If yes, can I meet or have a phone call with them?
How many times will we meet before the birth?
Will you make any postpartum visits?
When do you consider yourself *on-call* 24/7 for us?
How early are you available to support me once labour starts? Do we have to wait until a certain stage?
Are phone, text, and email support available before I go into labour?
What does your fee include? Is there a time limit or added fees if I have an unexpectedly long labour?
Why a DAI Doula?
All members of the DAI are professionally trained (by pre-approved organisations), Garda vetted, and insured.
But there’s more. Not only are each of our doulas strengthened by the professional overseeing body —with all the additional benefits and connections available through the DAI —but our association is essentially made up of an incredibly diverse group of individuals, supported in their unique backgrounds and passion for this work.
We have members with various specialities and areas of interest, as well as services complementary to doula work, which can be found on our Resources page.
Our members range from Irish born-and-bred to people who have arrived on our shores from as far away as Brazil, Hong Kong, and Israel, lending their linguistic skills and multi-cultural knowhow to this field of work.
The DAI is an inclusive organisation, with many of our members undertaking additional training to ensure that they are providing inclusive and full-spectrum support across Ireland.
The Doula Association of Ireland strives to support its members in every way, understanding that each person who chooses to be a part of our community is dedicated to upholding the very highest standard of doula services available in Ireland.