How to find doula clients

Some women seem to be surrounded by pregnant mothers on every side. For others though, the challenge of knowing someone who is pregnant is one of the biggest obstacles to becoming a doula. Our students can be found throughout the countries of the United States, Canada, Australia, and handful of others. While it is logistically impossible for us to provide prospective clients to all of our students around the globe, what we do do is prepare our students with the tools that they need to make the community connections where ever they live and that provides help to find doula clients. Here is a quick preview on the different tools we provide:

Get to know the medical professionals in your area.  Our emphasis on community and working yourself into the established birthing community where you live is a primary aim of our program. Learning to talk to medical professionals will help you feel confident and comfortable working along side other members of the birth team, and could provide you with possible referrals.

Talk to pregnant women and new moms.  Many of our assignments focus on discussing needs during birth by talking to new or expecting mothers.    This helps you understand the needs of the population you will be serving, as well as make connections that may later turn into clients.  You can do this on online forums or just in lines at the grocery store.

Community outreach programs.  We also encourage community outreach through our assignments. For example, at the end of the first unit, our students are asked to create a doula presentation in their local community, at a library or some other public forum to help women learn about the benefits of having a doula. This is one of the ways that our students are able to create connections directly with prospective clients.

Our students have held presentations in venues including the following: community centers, libraries, churches, beauty salons, friends’ homes and so on. Invitations for these workshops are circulated through friends, community postings, libraries, doctors’ offices, Facebook (or other social media), and more.

Marketing and business materials: Learning how to market yourself is key to finding clients.  I have provided a list of free business courses for my students and others.  These will provide a great foundation for your education.

For additional information:

blog: Doula websites as a community resource

blog: Doula students getting involved in their community

video: Becoming a doula in a small town