How did/would you find your doula?

[TeniBear]

As the title says, how did you, or how would you, find your doula?

I'm finished almost all of what I can do from my doula course books, so I'm really going to get stuck into trying to find some births to attend. I've got thousands of business cards (literally - I keep ordering them from Vistaprint because they're so cheap ), a website, a facebook page, I even just got a tshirt today with my website address! But I've only had one person contact me, and they never got back to me after a short email exchange. (ETA - Damn, I'm a big fat liar, I've had two contacts. I chickened out of the first one because I wasn't confident enough then.)

So, what else can I do to get out there? Where can I hand out my cards without feeling like a complete doofus? How do I get the conversation rolling?

[sloane]

would you consider twitter or fb? a longer term strategy but a goodcway to connect with likeminded ppl & demonstrate your knowledge so ppl think of you if they or someone they know needsca doula
ask at stores like baby bunting if you could leave your cards
speak to mchns about leaving cards or a flyer (ppl with older children may be pg or ttc - i know i saw my mchn once when ttc & once when pg)
contact local playgroups
go to aba meetings - good networking
contact somewhere like MAMA to see if you could work with them
check if any local hospitals might be receptive to taking cards
obvious ones like the baby & toddler show

um, brain not as good as it used to be! bbl if i think of more

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[FabFiona]

I think with something like this, word of mouth is the most powerful recommendation. The more births you attend, the more people will talk about you. Assuming they have a positive experience, it will be all good.

I found mind on the internet, not through here. I think she was listed on a doula directory and then I emailed and it went from there.

More broadly, I think part of your problem might be that a lot of people still have no idea about doulas and what they can do.

It seems you've covered all your bases in a PR sense and in time you will get more clients.

Sorry, I missed your other question. You could give them to pregnant people you see out and about? The first few times it will be hard and you'll feel like a complete douche but if you want to really get out there that's the best way I can think about. If you do it in a non-threatening, non-hassling way it could work.

[Aimz]

I have found mine and I'm not even pregnant yet

I came across her website while researching for my birth photography, and I was drawn to her by the birth stories I read from her past clients. So I would think that referrals are just as important as your marketing material

[PumpkinZulu]

I met mine at a birth doco screening, I was finding a way to get there on FB with Kelly, and she offered me a lift. I was still TTC and had just started my doula course. We became friends, and when I fell pregnant asked her to be my doula.

[BellyBelly]

I think its all about the getting involved side! Events, forums, social networks, birth classes - anything you can go to in order to mingle with women who are potential clients. Directories are good too, but people getting to know who you are as a person works well than most things. I used to help out at Birth Choices and other birth education classes, at the end of it, they'd learnt about doulas and wanted to talk to some Or places like BB where women already know what they are

[luna moth]

Word of mouth. I have met so many now just from being around, in all the various parenting channels that I have to make a CHOICE! And I'm pro-choice and all, I just suck at actually doing it.

[LimeSlice]

Post a profile on Find a Doula.
I have both my certifying births from there and a couple of other contacts in just the last few weeks since I put mine up. Make sure you mention that you are a student and they will contact you.

[TeniBear]

Right, I've done a lot of these now (quite a lot I'd already done, but I changed some stuff around), thanks


Sent from my iPhone, probably while a toddler sits on my head.

[diva det]

stand out the front of the maternity hossy and catch them as they go into labour lol.

i got mine from our twin club- she advertised in our local twin newsletter (she is also a twin mumma)
also try your local MCHN centre- put a notice up on their board for second time mums!!
also local playgroups, ABA etc
Perhaps even contacting a well known, experienced doula, to see if you can tag along to her births to watch and learn and get experience that way!!

[meow]

I chose Kelly as my doula because of her presence on BB and her articles. I only heard about doulas from being on BB and I read so many great articles on here that I trusted her knowledge and position as a birth advocate. I also liked that I could get a feel for her personality by reading her posts in threads here and that we could develop a bit of an online relationship to supplement our face to face meetings. She also had experience working with women at the birth centre I was going to and that was important to me as I wanted her "insider knowledge" to help me if I needed to navigate the system there.

Not exactly a doula, but now days whenever I'm choosing an allied health professional like a naturoapth I like to follow them on FB and then I rate them based upon the links they share, what they are reading etc. So, a similar approach to how I chose Kelly- I want to see strong evidence of your knowledge, your philosophy, and your current interests.

[sepata]

I found mine by contacting the doula college and they hooked me up. I know that my doula now advertised through the Australian doula network.


Excuse my sucky spelling, I'm on my iPhone