Ch.2/ When to hire a doula
Deciding on your doula is personal and sacred. Start scouting early and follow your instincts on who is a good fit.
As with birth, there are no hard and fast rules on when you should hire a doula. But there are pros and cons! Here’s a peek into the timeline of working with a birth doula and where it would make sense to reach out to that doula you’ve had your eye on.
Every doula is different, but for my support I usually offer the first prenatal around week 32-34 and then the second prenatal around week 35-37. Of course, if there are different situations (likelihood of an early labor, wanting to switch providers, multiples, etc.) we can amend this schedule.
So it would make sense to hire your doula before you’re at 32 weeks so you can have the most amount of time to get those two prenatals in. I’ve found that doing them closer to 37 weeks is beneficial so you don’t forget everything we talked about during the meetings.
On the flip side, it makes sense to reach out to doulas as soon as you know you want a doula so you can make sure they aren’t booked up for your estimated due date. Most doulas are able to take a very limited number of clients each month since they are trying to attend every single birth, unlike an OB practice that has a group of doctors always on call.
I’ve had people hire me the week they found out they were pregnant and I’ve had people reach out the week before they were scheduled to be induced. Timing changes the way my care looks but no matter when you hire your doula, know that you’re always going to get that in the moment support that makes having a doula so amazing.
