Summer Blog
Pregnant and Doulaing?
Pregnant and doulaing? Yes, this is possible.
If you are pregnant and want to doula for another mother, this can be done!
Remember you may get tired more easily - so here are some tips to consider:
Add to your doula contract some extra breaks - you decide how often you need this - every 2-3 hours you can get a break for instance.
Make sure you bring snacks to eat during these breaks - protein bars or things like that to give you energy.
If you need a fridge to store any food in ask the hospital and they will probably be glad to assist.
You can do this! If needed, also add in a back-up doula just in case you just need a longer break but you can still be there for the "action" when mama is pushing baby out!
Also, we still think it is wise not to take a client too close to your own due date - or you maybe pushing a baby out at the same time :)
July 4, 2023 - Date of this blog
Lactating and doulaing?
If you are breastfeeding and doulaing, read on! This is not always easy to do, but you can do things to help make this possible for any time you are breastfeeding and working as a birth doula!
Add to your contract time a every 2-3 hour break for pumping your milk and you can also eat a snack during that time - or at least a every 4 hour break for eating.
Use a hand free pumping like the "Willow" to help you pump if you need to while working as a doula.
Ask the hospital about using their pumping room for mamas or employees.
Also, ask hospital about storing your pumped milk in a safe place like a fridge if possible.
Bring a back-up doula or a friend if your baby needs the milk right away, getting a friend to come pickup the milk if you are in a long birth is absolutely necessary and helpful!
Enjoy working with your client! Lactating and doulaing is very much possible for any birth scenario!
July 4, 2023, date of this blog.
Welcome to May's First Blog Post! 5 Steps you Need in Your Doula Business Plan by Margaret Wolfe (Guest writer)
Have you spent hours middling and re-wording your Google search to put together your doula business plan? Maybe you have a grand vision and just need a little jump-start to get you going.
Here are some tips for jump-starting your business with a stellar doula business plan.
1.
Do the hard work! Make sure you put in the time to develop a mission for your business. This should be an overview of how you want to make an impact on your clients before and during their births.
2.
Develop your brand and logo- This is crucial if you intend to set up a business with some kind of store virtually/brick-n-mortar. Make sure your brand and logo represent exactly who you are and what you believe in. Make sure to have a consistent brand. Make sure to add points of interest in your description that make your business unique to your brand.
3.
Come up with a description of how your business will be run. Will you run it yourself (sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership or corporation). With this, unfortunately, comes taxes, so you’ll want to make sure you have this ironed out.
4.
Come up with long-term goals for your business this might include extra services you offer with your doula business (cooking for the new couple, knitting a baby hat, cleaning service, nannying, breastfeeding class etc. Make sure when you’re coming up with this to really zero in your market You could charge extra for this.
5.
Finally, to the fun part, start your business whether it have a physical location or a site online. It’s important to create a clear description of your business and find ways to attract your specific niche. Developing your business might include finding a location or investing in a site. Fun fact: you can write off several things that pertain to your business as deductions on your taxes!
These are proven five steps for jumpstarting your successful doula business.
I hope you find them helpful! - Margaret Wolfe...
Julie speaking here - If you need a template for this - you can find free stuff inside my book Doing business the Doula Way which has recently been updated.
Go to this amazon link (not affilate marketing): https://www.amazon.com/Doing-Business-Doula-Way-3rd/dp/B0B1HXV8JC/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1683310701&sr=8-1