Great Timing: 3 Reasons to Hire Your Doula Early
I’ve been hired by clients who just found out they were pregnant, and by clients were nearly at their due dates. Once, I was even hired by someone in labour!
Adding a doula to your birth team is a good idea at any time. But for best results, you may want to book early.
3 Reasons to Hire Your Doula Early:
You have a greater choice of doulas.
If you want to consult with a number of available doulas, or have a certain doula you’re set on, it’s best to reach out far in advance of your due date. As doulas, we offer you patience and serenity while you wait for labour to begin. But behind the scenes, we’re making plans and then backup plans to ensure that our clients have the support they need. For me, four birth clients per month is about perfect. When those spots are full, I don’t take additional clients—no matter how much I’d like to serve them.
You get more for your money. (At least my clients do.*)
Have to wait a long time to get in to see your OB, and a little freaked out? Not sure the nature of the test you’re being sent for? Wondering if it’s “normal” to feel what your feeling? Send me a text—we’ll chat. From the moment you book with me, I am your resource for all things pregnancy.
You have time to make—& change—your plans. Your doula will help you to build a birth plan that articulates your goals for your birth and welcoming your baby. But as your pregnancy progresses, sometimes plans change. Maybe that’s due to medical circumstances—for example, your due date is fast approaching and you baby is stubbornly breech—but more often, the changes reflect your response to more information or a growing awareness of your options. A doula can walk with you through these shifts, and help you go into birth fully informed and in touch with your preferences.
*Some doulas do not provide text or other support until they go on call for you, at 37 or 38 weeks. This is something you’ll want to explore with any doulas you may be considering.