By Rae Crawford, Certified Labor Doula

So you have decided you need a doula! What now? First things first, interviews!  Each doula has different skills and services that they offer.  One may offer a pre labor massage while the next may know how to use hypnobirthing. It is important that the doula you hire supports what you desire to have in your birth.

The following five questions are great ways to narrow down which doula is right for you:

1.  Are you available on my due date? Doulas usually commit to being available 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after your estimated due date

2.  What experience and training have you had?  You may want to familiarize with some of the major organizations that train doulas; www.cappa.net, www.dona.org, www.childbirthinternational.com  are a few of the well-known organizations.

3.  What services do you offer?  This would include how many times the doula would visit you, when they will join you in labor, do they offer any special services

4.  Do you have any references? It is reassuring to know that other people would recommend this doula.

5.  What is your philosophy about childbirth?  It is important to know if your doula believes in birthing a different way than you had planned. You may be learning the Bradley Method, and your doula may not be trained in that, for example.

Doulas are an asset to the birth team and will make your birth experience even more rewarding and memorable. The presence of a doula brings calm, comfort and security into your birthing environment!
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Rae Crawford is a CAPPA Certified Labor Doula located in the Concord, NC area.  She currently attends births at Presbyterian-Main, Presbyterian-Huntersville, Presbyterian-Matthews, Lake Norman Regional, Gaston County,
CMC-Main, CMC-Pineville, CMC-University, CMC-Northeast.  For more information or to schedule an interview for your upcoming birth please contact Rae at www.doulas.com/doularae or find her on Facebook