Interesting ways to get clients.

Almost everywhere I go - I end up talking about birth. It just comes naturally to me. I usually have my 8 month old with me and people ask about her birth and then I ask about or if they have children. And it just spirals into me telling them about being a doula. It has become who I am.

The other day a guy came to my door trying to sell me some pest care for the outside of our house. I had Iris on my hip. He seemed nice. He told me his wife is 9 weeks pregnant. He showed me the ultrasound photo on his phone. He was so cute and excited about his first baby! So I gave him my business card. I told him how wonderful doulas are. I told him the advantages of having a doula. I told him how doulas are different from partners. 

I didn't buy the pest service. He never called me. But he still might! Heh! A girl can hope. 

I have had to put doula-ing on the back burner since I gave birth to my fourth child. But If I can find a client here or there, yay! They are always welcome!

My first three clients were all through my craft group. One was the son of a member' s partner. The other two were actual members of my craft group. My fourth was from my playgroup. I have another potential client I met last week through playgroup also. 

Another thing I want to do is go leave my business cards around the town. At the Y, at coffee shops, at play places and maybe the grocery store. I have been kind of shy about it. Doulas cannot be shy! I need to advertise. 

So far I advertise in my playgroup where there are LOADS of pregnant women. And on doulamatch, of course. 

If you are a doula - what interesting ways have you gotten clients? Was it a positive? I'd love to read your comment. 

What is support?

(this is my version of something written in my toLabor training manual.)

Support is unconditional. It is listening, not talking.
Support is offering advice.
Support is offering a gentle touch.
Support is offering a hug.
Support is offering a tissue.
Support is caring.

Support is helping you discover your feelings.....not to make your feelings go away.
Support is helping you identify your options....not telling you which options not to choose.
Support is discussing steps with you....not taking steps for you.
Support is helping you discover your own strength.
Support is not leaving you vulnerable.
Support is helping you discover you can help yourself.

Support is helping you learn to choose.
Support is not making decisions for you.
Support is helping you reach your goals.
Support gives no judgements.
Support understands how you are feeling.
Support is there for you.

Baby A.

  The second birth I attended as a doula did not turn out as any had planned either. (First lesson of doula-ing - birth hardly ever goes as planned!) And just at the first one, I learned SO much and am so grateful I got to be a part of this wonderful birth.

  Mama was about 36 weeks gestation when her water broke! The previous week she had found out baby was breech. She had an appointment to try to turn the baby that week. So when the water broke and she went to the hospital it turned into a C-section.

  Mama got to the hospital pretty early. Due to me being VERY ill-prepared and my phone not being charged I did not get there until almost 12. (Another lesson! Be prepared a month early! Just in case!)

  Mama was already frustrated with waiting for her baby to be born. She couldn't have anything to eat or drink. Then her Section was pushed back due to someone needing one more then she did. Besides me she had two aunts to support her. So we all sat around telling stories and laughing. Mama started having some pretty painful contractions and I wished their was more I could do. She was stuck in bed with the monitors for her and baby. Poor mama. I tried to be comforting.

  So we waited and waited. And almost an hour after they said they would take her back for surgery they FINALLY came and got her. Her aunt accompanied her to the surgery. Her other aunt and I waited in the waiting room. It seemed like forever to us! I was actually surprised at how long this surgery seemed to take. Most of the C-section birth stories I have heard or read seemed to happen so fast.

  A few minutes after she was taken to recovery we were allowed to join her. Baby was perfect! 6lbs 11oz and 18 inches long. At one point I got to hold her and she was so sweet and precious!

Happy 2012

It is a new year! I hope it will be a great one! This month I will attend the ToLabor birth doula training workshop I have been waiting for! I am so excited. I look forward to hard work, learning and most of all BABIES!

The first challenge is going to be finding 6 pre-certification births to attend. It is a kind of a catch-22. I need to attend 6 births to become certified, but most people want you to be already certified before becoming their doula. I mean, your child's birth is one of the most significant events that will happen in one's life. It is wise to be choosy. But I need 6 births so I can be a certified doula and support women through this most important time in their life! *sigh*

So far I have one client, due in the first week of June. So that is definitely a start. I have been spending my free time sending emails to midwives, doulas and birth centers trying to get the word out that I am a doula-in-training and am offering my services for free until certification.

So that is my journey so far. Just the thought of helping other women makes me happy and fulfilled. I look forward to this year!

My reason

I have thought about becoming a Doula since before my second child was born. When we started trying to conceive, I read every birth book I could get my little hands on. It that I realized how little CHOICE and information I had been given during my first pregnancy and birth. I was only 18 and I basically just went along with whatever my doctor told me. I read a few birth books but I trusted my OB/GYN knew what she was doing. When I went into labor at 38 weeks 6 days, I waited until my contractions were 5 minutes apart and went to the hospital. They admitted me, started and IV and Pitocin without really asking me. After a while I was given an epidural. My water was broken for me. When it came time to push I was given an episiotomy and not even told about it.  That is the part that infuriates me the most, I was not given a choice.

It wasn't until I was 21 and I become more informed about birth that I became angry about my first one. I was determined to have a more natural birth the second time around. But then I was married. I was not the only one who had an opinion about the birth of our child. My husband was uncomfortable with the idea of me delivering our baby outside of a hospital. So in the end I delivered my second and third children at hospitals. And I still felt out-of-control. I felt that my husband would never understand because he is a man. 

And this is why I have a passion to become a doula. I feel that had I had an advocate that was there JUST for me, I would have been A LOT happier with how my births went. I want to be there to support other women in any way they need me. I intend to help my clients become educated about birth so they can make informed decisions It will not be my job to convince or change a woman's mind about her birth, it will be my pleasure to ensure she gets a birth experience that will bring on feelings of happiness rather then anger.