How to find a doula: A comprehensive guide to finding the best fit for you

Congratulations– you’re pregnant! You’ve learned all about the many benefits of working with a doula and you think you’d like to add one to your team during pregnancy and postpartum. But how do you find the right doula for you? After all, it’s a big decision. A doula is a professional who supports you during some of the most transformative moments of your life, and the right one can help you feel calmer, more confident, and more supported overall. 

This guide covers how to find a doula, what to look for, what questions to ask potential doulas, and more! Read on so you can choose the best doula for you. 

Types of doulas

A birth doula is trained to provide emotional, mental, informational, and physical support to families during pregnancy, labor, and birth. A birth doula meets with you during pregnancy and helps you navigate your options for birth, postpartum, and infant feeding. They also accompany you to your chosen birth place and provide continuous labor support as you give birth. 

A postpartum doula is similar, but focuses on the postpartum period (after birth). They typically have training in infant care, birth recovery, infant feeding, and more. Postpartum doulas mostly work in your home with you and your baby. You can hire one before or after you give birth. 

There are other types of doulas, too, including fertility doulas, who specialize in supporting families who are trying to conceive, and loss & bereavement doulas, who support families during miscarriage or stillbirth.  

It’s important to understand that doulas are not the same as midwives. Doulas are non-medical support people, while midwives are medical providers. Midwives can do things like listen to your baby’s heartbeat and check your cervix, while doulas cannot. 

Doula qualifications

Typically, doulas are trained through certifying organizations devoted specifically to doula work. These programs may be online, in-person or a hybrid. They generally cover core doula skills like comfort measures, communication, and the physiology of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. 

Certification is not required to practice as a doula in any US state, although you may still want to look for a doula who is certified. This is because certification offers a higher level of credibility and means the doula has completed all of their training and coursework and follows a professional code of ethics. Hiring a certified doula also means you are more likely to get your doula services covered by Medicaid or by employer programs like Carrot. 

Many doulas come to the work from other caring professions, like social work, childcare, or even nursing. Some doulas have additional and complementary trainings or certifications too, like massage therapy or acupuncture.  

Cost to hire a doula

Doula costs can vary widely based on where you live, the experience level of the doula you want to hire, what is included in their care, and more. 

Generally, birth doulas charge a flat package fee that includes all of your support from pregnancy right through to postpartum. This can range from about $800 up to $3000. Postpartum doulas often charge by the hour for their work. The average hourly rate for a postpartum doula is $35-50 and up. 

Most private insurance plans do not cover doula services, although there are other ways you can pay for for doula care. 27 states now require doula coverage through Medicaid (including Illinois, where Partum Health is based).

There are other ways to get coverage for doula care too, like using FSA or HSA funds or by using employer benefits like Carrot or Maven. 

Doula hiring process

Doulas work in different ways, including in their own small practices, in agencies, or as part of larger companies like Partum Health. Generally, you’ll interview a few doulas, find one you like, sign a contract, and start care!

Most people hire a birth doula sometime during their second trimester, although it’s fine to hire as early in your pregnancy as you’d like (and the earlier you look for a doula, the more choices you will have, because most doulas take a limited number of clients per month!). If you are due to give birth close to any major holidays, it’s even more important to start the doula hiring process early. If you’re looking for postpartum doula support, you can hire a doula during pregnancy or afterwards. 

You may want to find a doula who has experience with your OBGYN or midwife or at your chosen birthplace. Or, you may be looking for a doula who has helped their clients navigate birthing multiples or planning a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean). Whatever your personal situation and preferences, there is a doula out there who can support you. 

Identify a few doulas you like in your local area and make plans to meet with them, typically though a video call. Prepare for the doula interview by thinking of a few questions that feel important to you (and your partner, too!) Ask questions about their training, certification, experience, philosophy, and anything else that that’s personal and feels vital to your experience. Feel free to ask any potential doulas for references or testimonials, as well. 

Above all, you should truly like and connect with your chosen doula. This is someone you could be spending a lot of time with– labor may be long or short, after all! You should feel comfortable with your doula, easily able to ask questions, and confident that your doula will support you, no matter what happens during your labor, birth, or postpartum.

Benefits of working with a doula

Working with a doula can make a real difference in your pregnancy and birth experience. Research consistently shows that doula care is linked to better birth outcomes, like a lower chance of Cesarean birth, a lower chance of preterm birth, and even slightly shorter labors. There are benefits for after birth too, like higher rates of breastfeeding and lower rates of PMADS (perinatal mood disorders).

Many expectant mothers and families want to work with a doula because they value the personalized, one-on-one support that doulas bring. Doulas are there for you and only you, doing all sorts of support tasks, from explaining what’s happening while you’re in labor to recommending the best postpartum supplies. Doulas are wonderful for families who are planning for low intervention births, but doulas support all birth experiences, including those that may include pain medication and surgery. 

Is a doula worth it? That will be different for every family, but the majority of parents who hire doulas are happy and feel their investment was well worth it. They say having a doula on their team helped them feel safer, more confident, and more supported throughout their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. 

Where to find a doula

Chances are, someone in your community has worked with an awesome doula. Ask your friends, coworkers, and neighbors for recommendations. Your OBGYN or midwife may also share names of doulas who they like and recommend. 

Large training organizations, like DONA and Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings, have directories where you can search for certified doulas in your area. DoulaMatch is a large national directory, as well. Some states, like Michigan, also have directories of all doulas who are able to accept Medicaid. 

Partum Health can connect you to a great doula in Illinois, Texas, or Michigan. To get started, fill out this form and someone from Partum will be in touch to help!