As doulas, we take pride in preparing our clients for birth…but are you accidentally leaving these three topics out of your prenatals?

Expecting parents rely on doulas to ‘know what they don’t know’. A skilled doula will have the ability to introduce often-overlooked topics when it comes to perinatal planning.

In my eight-plus years of working with families in the childbearing year, time and again I have found most families are ill-prepared when it comes to these three areas:

1. Assessing if their care provider is a good fit.
2. Making a plan for loved one communication during the birth.
3. Planning for postpartum and adjusting to baby.

Is Your Maternity Care Provider a Good Fit?

‘Provider Fit’ is often the elephant in the room during doula prenatals. What if you’re talking with a client and you realize they booked an appointment with Dr. Unconsented Episiotomy!? It’s not uncommon for doulas to have strong opinions about care providers depending on their experiences with them. But as a doula, it is vital that we maintain our client’s ability to make their own decisions. One of the least helpful things a doula can do is immediately question or correct someone’s choice of care provider. The second least helpful thing a doula can do is say nothing when we know our clients have trusted a care provider that will actively work against their preferences. 

What’s a doula to do?

I’ve found it most helpful to address the topic of care provider fit from a thought-based, logical place. As you’ll see in the linked demo video, I guide clients through identifying their own birth philosophy, and then deftly guide them through questions to analyze their chosen care provider. 

Ensuring our clients have access to all the information they need to make an informed decision is our job as doulas, after all! Watch this video on establishing a good prenatal provider fit and family communication.

How to Update Family Members During Labor?

In the over 100 births I have attended, I’ve rarely heard a laboring person scream to the father of the baby, “YOU DID THIS TO ME!” But I absolutely have heard the laboring person exclaim to their partner, “WHY ARE YOU TEXTING YOUR SISTER!?”

New parents often wonder: “When should I update my family after I have a baby? Should I even tell my family I’m in labor?” Though you, as the doula, may likely have a strong reaction to those questions, the reality is that our clients will have preferences and a plan totally unique to them.
Our role as doulas is to help clients anticipate what labor might be like, and to give them considerations for how to create a plan and manage their own expectations. Usually, in my prenatal appointments, after I introduce the idea of provider fit and how to effectively communicate with the healthcare team, I like to take a few moments to discuss healthy family communications. You can watch me do both in this demo video!

What should I prepare for postpartum?

Planning for the postpartum period is just as crucial as it can be overwhelming. Planning for postpartum is essential for ensuring the well-being of both the mother and the newborn. A proactive approach can contribute to a smoother transition into parenthood and better overall outcomes for the family.

As a doula, you’ll want to have a plan to address the following with your clients:

• Physical recovery
• Emotional well-being
• Breastfeeding or infant feeding
• Infant Care
• Nutrition and self-care
• Partner connection and bonding
• Social supports 
• Work and parental leave

Quite a tall order! However, it is possible with a smooth system in place. One reason I love the Birth Doula Client Workbook, my system for conducting prenatal appointments, is that I can introduce several topics in one session, and spend one-to-one attention on topics that are most necessary. Watch in this demo video how I lead a client through postpartum planning.

Doulas help parents ‘know what they don’t know’.

We doulas bring such value to the lives of the parents we support! And even doulas are constantly learning! A high-quality doula will be dedicated to enhancing their practice over a lifetime. And tools like The Birth Doula Client Workbook make it easier for doulas to put their best foot forward and give clients the highest quality of care!