The doula interview is an important step in hiring the right doula for your family.  A doula is a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth. As a parent looking to hire someone to be there for emotional comfort You need to feel like you connect and this is hard in an hour.

Do your research– Read their website, follow them on facebook… do they blog? Read it. Do this all before you meet them… Educate yourself on what they do and get a feel for them online. Do they swear like a sailor? maybe you do too… Then it could be a good match, if not maybe you need find another doula.

Have a list of questions— “What is your training?” “How many births?” “How do you handle stress?” “When do you go on call?” “How would you work with me and my partner?” “Do you have a back up doula?” These are all pretty common ones I get often but I love the ones like “do you like garlic? because I cant handle garlic at all” “my husband can’t handle blood so so how will you keep him busy” Listen to the answers, are they genuine, are you connecting with them?

Don’t hold back– It may feel awkward to discuss intimate details about your feelings and plans for birth within minutes of meeting someone but to a doula it is natural. Open up, let loose and say what you really feel. because in birth, there is no holding back.

Reflect— What is helpful for you when you are stressed? What brings you back and grounds you? Does this doula sound like she has those skills? Do they match your needs?

Do you like them? Really, you need to like them. if you find them annoying how are you going to feel 24 hours in on the big day?

Choose your Doula– Sit down and have a frank discussion with your partner. lay it all out and see listen to each other. Both of you will have an active part in the birth, so you both need to feel comfortable.

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