How do you avoid double-booking?

[Snacks]

As a doula, how do you book in your clients so that you know they won't give birth on the same day? Do you have to allow 2 weeks either side of each client's EDD?
How do you manage your caseload?

[Tobily]

Oh snacks! The eternal question for anyone who works with birthing women LOL.

It's not a science I can tell you that much!

It really depends on the doula.

Alot of doulas have young families and they may only take one birth a month anyway, because it's easier for them to manage and minimises the stress about births clashing.

Other doulas come at it with a trusting approach - that if a woman needs them they will be there so they don't stress about it .

Realistically, although everyone has an EDD, they can birth anytime 3 weeks (for the sake of argument) either side of that. So that gives us a 6 week time frame to work in.

How each doula manages that is a very individual thing and it will depend alot on her personal circumstances..something you need to talk to her about.

For me? I don't take on clients that are due in the same week. That's my rule of thumb. I know that doesn't protect me from having clients labouring at the same time but hey...you gotta start somewhere I have a back up who I liaise with on a regular basis as well. But mostly I trust the universe...it's all worked out so far

Birth is unpredictable....and there's not much we can do about it, you either have to roll with it - or become an obstetrician

[BellyBelly]

Doulas just set their limit as to how many births a month they want to take. I know some who will do 1 or 2 and some will do 6-8 but there are fewer of them.

I quite happily will have two clients on one month due on the same day, because you could have someone due first week, someone due last week and they both come in the middle anyway! One two weeks early, one two weeks late. I even had two clients being induced on the same day but I was okay with it, because one was having gels and I knew it would be at least 24 hours before she went into labour. The other was a third time mum and she bet her induction and was a day early anyway... so worked out perfect

You can never plan it but I have never had two births at the same time since 2005 - back to back but not at the same time. I think someone knows something

[Snacks]

Wow. Back to back births! You must've been exhausted!

Birth is unpredictable....and there's not much we can do about it, you either have to roll with it - or become an obstetrician

I guess so.

[Trish]

I would prefer to have one a month. Now I just have to get the clients.

That said in October I have 3 clients! I have SIL (ok not a client as such) due on the 14th, a first time mum due on the same day at the same hospital. And on the 12th I have my VBA3C client, assuming that goes ahead. Annnnd a wedding on 18th !! I am stressing already about it.

While Abbey is still so young and breastfed I would rather have local clients on space them out. I am dreading these births coming up, only in the sense of them going at once, or back to back.

Lord space them apart for me!!

[Snacks]

Wowee. I hope it all works out beautifully for you, Trish.