Can I be a doula if...?
Over the years, I’ve heard plenty of questions that start with, “Can I be a doula if…?” The answer is, yes!
Can I be a doula if:
I’ve never given birth?
I’ve only had Cesarean/epidural/unmedicated/etc. births myself?
I’m not a woman?
I have little kids?
I have a full-time job?
I am younger/older?
I want this to stay a side gig?
I want to be a doula full-time?
I don’t have reliable childcare?
I have a chronic health condition or disability?
Yes, you can!
Personal experience or identifying completely with all of your clients is not required to provide support and care to families through childbirth. If you couldn’t be a doula until personally experiencing at least a Cesarean birth, an unmedicated vaginal birth, a waterbirth, an epidural vaginal birth, a forceps birth with or without an epidural, a vacuum birth with and without an epidural, spontaneous onset of labor, induction of labor, a VBAC, a loss at every week of pregnancy, a preterm birth, infertility, term pregnancy, post-dates pregnancy, a hospital birth, a home birth, a birth center birth… I hope you get the idea. Your reproductive experiences may have inspired you to become a doula, but one particular personal experience is not required to be a good doula.
If you need to take regular breaks, switch to virtual support, or send a backup due to you or your family’s needs, you can team up with other doulas for reliable backup and outline your needs and accommodations, refund policy, and operating procedures clearly in your contract so you and your clients have a clear picture of what to expect from your services.
If you want to fit doula work around your full-time job, or you want it to become your new full-time job, there are ways to make it work for any lifestyle. Your doula work is what you make of it, and you can change anything that is not working for you.
Take your concerns, the barriers you think are in your way, and find solutions that work for you. Make a plan. Your future doula clients are waiting for you.