Before hiring a Heart Tones doula for your birth and/or postpartum, it’s always a good idea to meet with them. When you reach out to us, you will first get to have a 15-30 minute virtual or phone consultation with owner Beth Hardy. This is a chance for Beth to learn more about your support preferences, your personality, and if there’s anything specific you’re looking for in a doula. Beth will also share information with you about how Heart Tones Birth Services works, how contracts + fees work, and the benefits of hiring a doula who works for an agency. If you decide you’d like to move forward, Beth will connect you with a doula (or sometimes more than one) from our team for a meet + greet.
What happens in a doula meet + greet?
A doula meet + greet is a chance for you and your perspective doula to get to know each other and see if it feels like a good fit. If you can do this meeting in person,that is ideal, since it’s so much easier to get a real feel for a person’s energy and vibe when you’re sitting across from them. But sometimes a virtual meet + greet is necessary, and all of our doulas are happy to meet virtually if that’s what works best for you.
Here’s what you can expect in a doula meet + greet:
Bring your team. Your prospective doula will want to meet with both you and your partner(s) or other birth support person. This will help your doula to get a feel for who will be there in the room with you during the birth, and can answer any specific questions your partner/birth support person has. It also gives your partner/birth support person a chance to get to know the doula and see if it feels like a good fit for them, too.
You’ll meet with your prospective doula at a public place like a coffee shop, and the meet + greet usually lasts around 30 minutes or so.
During the meet + greet, the doula will tell you about themselves, their style, what you get in a doula package, and how they support you prenatally and during your birth (or postpartum time, in the case of a postpartum doula). They will also ask you questions about your hopes and plans for your birth, and what made you decide to seek out a doula.
Bring your questions. This is a great time to ask questions of your prospective doula to get to know them on a deeper level.
Questions to ask if you’re hiring a birth doula:
What kind of doula trainings have you done?
Do you have any additional or specialty trainings you’ve taken (like massage, lactation, birthing at every size, supporting LGBTQ+ families, etc)?
Have you supported clients at my birth location before?
I’m planning to have a [medicated/unmedicated/hospital/birth center/home] birth. What kind of experience do you have with this kind of birth?
About how many births have you attended?
Do you have any trips planned around my due date, or lots of other clients at that time? If so, what kind of backup doula arrangements do you have?
How do you work with my partner to make sure they’re involved and supported?
Questions to ask if you’re hiring a postpartum doula:
Can you give me some examples of what you would be doing during a daytime shift? During an overnight shift?
Do you have any additional or specialty trainings you’ve taken (like massage, lactation, birthing at every size, supporting LGBTQ+ families, etc)?
What if you get sick or are unavailable for a scheduled shift? Do you have a backup, or would we just reschedule?
What drew you to postpartum doula work?
These are just a sample of some of the questions you might ask. If you have specific circumstances or things you want to know, ask about them! This is your chance to determine if this doula feels like the best fit for your birth and/or postpartum time.
If you’d like to meet with one of our wonderful doulas for a meet + greet, reach out to us!
