A detailed checklist for becoming a doula

Print this out. Highlight what you have done so far. 
Enjoy the journey :) 

• Get familiar with what a doula is, what they do, and what they don’t do. It’s important to understand their purpose and scope of practice.
• Interview some doulas before you start this path. See what the job is really like. Shadow some doulas if you can.
• Know the on-call requirements of birth work and what you are able to do in this season of your life. Can you be on call and be able to leave your house within an hour of being called? How many hours can you be gone at a time? It’s not uncommon for doulas to utilize 12 hour language in their contract. If that’s what you need to do to be able to run your business, then do it. What are your plans for child care and pet care if you are called to a birth? What are your financial needs right now? This is a small business. It takes a lot of careful planning.
• Choose your training program. While training is optional, it is recommended. Click here for a directory of training programs.
• Decide if you are going to pursue certification.
• Attend a doula workshop or complete on online training program.
• Educate yourself from appropriate resources as much as you can.
• Form your business (sole proprietor or LLC)
• Decide on your prices. Please charge a living wage. Free doulas devalue the profession. Click here to read about that. If you choose to offer a sliding scale for low-income families, at least make your regular price reasonable for the work that doulas do.
• Create your marketing plan. Click here for a comprehensive blog on over 50 ways to market your doula business.
• Make your website. Click here for a blog on what to have on your doula website.
• Optional: Create a logo or hire a designer to create a logo for your company.
• Start a Facebook page.
• Buy business cards and initial promotional products.
• Start marketing.
• Address your obstacles and make a plan for how to prevent or manage each obstacle. I talk in depth about that here.
• Create your plan for your consults, prenatal appointments, and postpartum appointments.
• Get all your paperwork in order: pre-consultation questionnaire, consult form, contract (very necessary), intake paperwork, schedule and curriculum for prenatal appointments, postpartum appointment chart, feedback and evaluation form, etc…
• Create your birth support plan. These are notes for you personally on the ways that you can support clients in different experiences: vaginal birth both un-medicated and with an epidural, during a c-section, through a stillbirth or infant death, through complications, etc…
• Buy all your doula bag supplies. It’s okay to start with a minimal amount and invest the money after you have been paid by clients.
• Purchase your teaching tools. Again, do what you can within your budget.
• Optional: Order a curriculum for childbirth education.
• List out your resources for information for yourself and for clients.  
• Find clients. It will be slow at first.
• If needed, buy what you are going to wear to the births. Your outfits, shoes (that you can be on your feet for a long time in), your name badge, a lanyard, gloves (bodily fluids that aren’t yours = wear gloves), etc…
• Some training programs require you to doula several births before achieving certification. Other programs give certification before experience is acquired.
• If you are pursuing certification, complete all the certification requirements for your chosen training program.
• Earn your certificate.
• Find at least one back up doula. Several is ideal.
• Network with other birth workers. Get in the birth community.
• Continue to market your business.

 
Begin your journey.
There is a strong learning curve.
Things will be trial and error. You’ll make adjustments along the way.
You’ll grow.
Go doula.
 

Continuing education

• Get certified in first aid and basic lifesaver support. I recommend The American Heart Association.
• Always seek continuing education.
• Lactation support is part of being a doula. I recommend you seek credentialing in breastfeeding support. Click here to learn about the different types of lactation professionals, click here to view a directory of lactation training programs, and click here to learn how to become a lactation consultant (IBCLC).
• Some other training ideas are
  • Postpartum doula training if your birth doula training did not include both
  • Bereavement doula training
  • Childbirth educator  
  • Rebozo training
  • Spinning Babies training
  • Child passenger safety tech (car seat safety)
• If you are able to take college classes, here are 12 that would be helpful.
  • A communications class
  • Psychology
  • Abnormal psychology
  • An introduction to addictive illness (drug addiction is a huge issue in America)
  • Any classes on counseling skills are super helpful to doula work
  • General biology
  • Medical terminology
  • Basic anatomy and physiology
  • Pathophysiology is helpful and fascinating
  • Pharmacology certainly isn’t necessary for doulas, but it’s good to know how these things work
  • Clinical nutrition
  • A nurse’s aide class is relevant  

 
Note: Some organizations offer permanent certification while others require renewal every year or two or three years. Know how your training organization does this. Keep up on your requirements.
 
 
Best wishes to you on your journey in being a birth worker.