How to Hire A Doula: The Best (+ Worst!) Interview Questions To Ask
Hiring a doula in Calgary can be intimidating! There are hundreds of doulas in YYC, and most other metropolitan cities. How do you sort through all the choices to find the best one? IS THERE a "best" one? How would you know?
I’m sharing my top 6 interview questions to hire a doula in Calgary. Follow this guide, and you and your family can feel prepared to gather good information and make an informed decision.
BONUS! To see my own answers to these questions, click the button at the bottom of the question list!
1. DON’T ASK: “Why did you become a doula?”
Why? This will probably net you a generic answer along the lines of “I like to help people.” Because it’s true, all doulas love to help people. We couldn’t do what we do if we didn’t enjoy helping you!
INSTEAD, ASK: “Describe yourself in 3 words.”
This is a quick, easy, and honest way to get a handle on someone’s personality. Their word choice may also provide a straightforward background as to why they became a doula in Calgary.
2. DON’T ASK: “What do you like most about your job?”
Why? Again, this will probably result in an answer like “I really love babies, and helping moms.” Of course she does; if she didn’t, she wouldn’t be a doula! But it’s not particularly insightful for you, the family hiring a doula, since you’re trying to find the absolute best fit for you.
INSTEAD, ASK: “What do you find most challenging about your job as a Calgary doula?”
Being a doula is a challenging line of work - it means being an entrepreneur, balancing on-call life with parenthood and family commitments, and collaborating with many different care providers and Calgary birthing facilities. Any doula worth your time should be able to give a thoughtful answer to this question that both shows something she recognizes as a challenge and some steps she is taking to overcome that hurdle in her business or personal life.
3. DON’T ASK: “How many births have you attended?”
Why? The truth is that every birth is 100% unique, so whether a doula has attended 1 or 12 or 1200 births, they have never seen your exact scenario before. Also, for new doulas, this question represents the age-old dilemma of “How am I supposed to have experience when no one will hire me?” Newer - but excellent and professional - Calgary doulas can find it challenging to gain clients specifically because of their answer to this question. But isn’t it more important that you trust your doula because she’s a trained professional - just like any other care provider on your team - and you like her personality and bedside manner, more than her birth record on paper?
INSTEAD, ASK: “What formal training do you have?”
A professional Calgary doula should have training from a professional training organization. In Calgary, there are two DONA International training providers - Mount Royal University, and Doula Essentials by Heather Crossan.
4. DON’T ASK: “What coping and pain relief techniques do you prefer?”
Why? This is YOUR birth, not your doula’s! She may have a list 18 pages long of coping tools and tricks, but that doesn’t matter at all if none of them appeal to YOU!
INSTEAD, ASK: “How would we decide what pain relief and coping tools might work for me?”
It will be more revealing to understand how your doula will sort through her 18 page list of coping mechanisms to FIND the ones that might support you best.
5. DON’T ASK: “Will I get a refund if I have a c-section?”
OK, feel free to actually ask this one, but rest assured the answer will be “No, as per my contract, no refunds will be issued and I will still attend your birth to help you with postpartum care.” This is a very standard clause in doula contracts, and for good reason, really. You hired a Calgary doula because you wanted extra support before, during, and after your birth; regardless of how the birth part happens, your doula is still going to be committed to providing you with prenatal care, birth-day support, and postpartum follow-up.
INSTEAD, ASK: “Do your packages have any accommodations for emergency or scheduled c-sections? What does that look like?”
Some doulas may have more generous policies regarding contract terms or support types available during and after a c-section. You can set yourself up for success by knowing those terms ahead of time.
6. DON’T ASK: “What is your birth philosophy?”
Why? I recommend that you DON’T ask this question because your doula’s answer doesn’t actually matter. Her philosophy is not your philosophy, and this is your birth, not hers.
INSTEAD, ASK: “What is your birth philosophy?”
*This is a great trick question to ask because a perfectly lovely doula may answer this question as it pertains to her own feelings about birth; a GREAT Calgary doula will turn this question back to you, the birthing family. And her answer (or non-answer) will tell you everything you need to know.
Now that you've seen my top 6 list of questions, click over to read my own answers!