Pregnancy is sheer chaos. Not only are you GROWING A HUMAN [ yeah, you’re kind of a big deal! ], but there’s so much to do right from the moment you pee on a stick. Deciding on an OB vs. a midwife, planning the perfect announcement photo, starting a gift registry, designing a nursery…. Even if hiring a doula has crossed your mind, it might easily fall to the bottom of the mental priority list until suddenly your water breaks and you remember…”I wish I would have hired a doula!!!” So when is the right time to hire a doula, and how can you make it quick and painless so you can get on with your bumptastic life already??

When Is the Right Time to Hire A Doula?

**The most important message I want you to take away : **

THERE IS NO WRONG TIME TO HIRE A DOULA!

As long as your baby is still on the inside, you can - and should! - hire a doula if you want to! The Calgary Doula Association website hosts a searchable list of trained doulas near you, and if you contact the first five that come up, I guarantee you will find one with last minute availability. No one is going to shame you for not hiring us sooner; we’re just happy you finally did reach out for the support you need.

And a hot tip: if you’re late in pregnancy - or even already in labor! - I recommend texting the doulas you want to investigate. Our phones are on 24/7, and you are likely to get a response back by text much sooner than by email.

…Now all that said, do I think 39 weeks + 1 day is THE BEST TIME to hire a doula? I do not. So when IS the right time??

The best time to hire a doula in Calgary is between 10-20 weeks pregnant.

Here are four good reasons why I think that’s true:

1. You’ll get your first choice doula.

Yes, I did say that you would have no problem finding a last minute doula, and I’m sure she’s awesome; as a generalization, people who become trained doulas are kind, nurturing, giving human beings, so anyone you hire will be great. But the most in-demand Calgary birth doulas DO fill their schedules more quickly. If you’re concerned about making an investment too early [ in case of pregnancy loss, etc. ] I would recommend researching doulas in your first trimester and booking a meet + greet for a future date, once you pass 10-14 weeks of “safety.” That way, the doula will know you’re interested and can keep you in the loop if she is quickly running out of availability.

2. You’ll get better value out of the relationship.

My husband is an accountant, so value propositions run deep over here. [ A major selling feature of our house was the $/square foot! ] With a doula relationship, the same idea applies. The more weeks you have remaining in your pregnancy, the more time you have to take advantage of your doula’s knowledge + skills, effectively “lowering” the cost of your service. Connecting early also allows you to lean on your doula for more pregnancy-related items such as finding a great prenatal chiropractor, deciding what baby essentials to buy, or comparing labor induction methods.

3. You’ll have more time to spread out the expense.

The earlier you hire a doula, the more time you have to pay off that expense. We doulas are fully aware that our services represent a significant cost in your baby budget. Hiring later in pregnancy usually means you would have to pay the full balance immediately, which can be a barrier to you getting the support you desire. When you hire around the start of your second trimester, you are able to spread out the cost of your service through multiple payment periods and also “reduce” the expense to mere dollars per day.

For example:

Cost of average Calgary doula = $1,000
Doula hired at 36 weeks [ + 2 weeks postpartum = 6 week relationship ]: Cost per day = $23.80
Doula hired at 13 weeks [ + 2 weeks postpartum = 26 week relationship ]: Cost per day = $4.93

4. You’ll forget or get overwhelmed if you wait.

As your pregnancy progresses, your brain will get increasingly overwhelmed by both the sensations of your body + baby, and also the volume of things on your to-do and to-buy lists. Hiring your doula early in pregnancy takes the pressure off of thinking about it later and frees up your mind to focus on connecting with your baby and your birth partner.

“This still sounds like a major task. Tell me how to make it quick + painless.”

Now that you know the benefits of hiring a doula early, you can book online RIGHT NOW for a free, no obligation meet + greet! It takes just two minutes to confirm a virtual coffee date, and you don’t even have to leave your couch or get out of sweatpants to join our chat! Then, when you decide you’re ready to work with adora birth + wellness, you’ll be provided with one simple link that allows you to choose your package + sign your contract with only a couple swipes right from your phone or tablet. - No printing, scanning, emailing, or back-and-forth required!

Hit the button below to take your first step, and I promise everything will be easy breezy! [ Well…no promises on the pregnancy part though….! ]