How Can You Choose the Best Doula?
This can be a stressful, and exciting part of your
lives. Don’t allow yourself to feel
rushed or pressured to make a decision about your care, by your OB/Midwife, by
friends, family, or the caregivers you interview. Take time to ask questions, do your research
and get to know the doula you will hire to help you birth and care for your
newborn(s).
“Postpartum Doulas are higher skilled professionals, and
more specifically trained than baby nurses or newborn nannies and every mother
deserves one!”
Your
health insurance will not pay for a baby nurse or nanny, but they will help pay
for a certified postpartum doula.
How do you find one your insurance company trusts?
What do parents need
to know when it comes to hiring a Doula?
1. What makes a good doula?
a.
She’s certified by a reputable
organization. She should also be trained
in breastfeeding support as well as has the right philosophy to match your
family. So ask her what her views on
things like “breastfeeding”, “vaccinations”, “cry it out” and “sleep training”
are, among other hot topics. A good
doula will not have an agenda to push, but will be willing and able to support
all parenting styles. She will have a
lot of experience, honest credentials as a doula, and she’ll be an active part
of the local birth community.
b.
When you first interview potential doulas, it
should be abundantly clear who has the most knowledge and experience and who will be able to support your parenting
style best. Ask a lot of questions. Don’t be afraid to take plenty of time
getting to know her. This is an
important decision and even if you’re hiring her after the baby is born, you
should not rush the process.
c.
Finally, a good Doula will know how to navigate
the insurance world for you. She’ll work
with you to get reimbursed as much as you possibly can for her services, from
your insurance providers. If she’s not
able to bill insurance, look for another Doula.
Insurance billing knowledge and experience is another indicator of
professionalism, credibility and overall superior care.
A professional doula has a proven track
record of insurance cooperation and reimbursement. Ask all potential doulas if they will provide
you with the forms and codes for insurance claims. If they cannot, you need to keep
looking. Claims reimbursable doulas have proven to the insurance companies that their care is
worth paying for. You will be
asked to pay up front, but part of your intake process with a professional
doula should include a discussion about insurance, and they will ask for the
details on, or a copy of your card for billing purposes.
2. What are the MUSTS when interviewing a
doula?
a.
Run a background check, or hire a doula through
an agency that will provide one to you as part of their services, and it should
be free of cost.
b.
Make sure she’s certified. Contact the organization she’s earned her
credentials with and verify her status is current and in good standing. Many doulas claim to be “trained” but they
never completed the work to be certified.
“Trained” and “Certified” are very different things when you consider
the integrity of the doula and her practice.
c.
She should have current, honest credentials as a
certified doula and she should also be certified in Adult and Infant CPR as
well as First Aid. Ask to see those
certifications as well as any others she holds.
d.
Find out who she is accountable to. Don’t be afraid to ask her, “If I have a
grievance over your services, who would I contact about that?” Independent doulas can be wonderful, but
there are doulas out there who answer to no one and this can be a real problem
for families who encounter issues later.
e.
Contact all her references and ask the tough
questions like was she ever late, how did she invoice you, did you trust her,
did she always follow through with things, where there ever any red flags while
she was caring for you or your baby?
f.
Ask to see a list of care duties and also the
contract, BEFORE the interview. You
should never feel pressured to sign the contract until you’ve had time to read
it over and discuss with your partner.
REMEMBER, getting a word of mouth referral is great, but
it’s not a failsafe way to hire a doula.
Make sure she is trustworthy by doing the above things before you bring
her into your home to care for your family.
Written by: Anne Croudace, CPD, CPDT, CLD, CLDT, CBE, CLSE,
CNPE, CPR
How to reach Anne Croudace:
Tranquil Seasons Doulas in San Antonio, TX
Anne is also
the founder of the ethics-based “San Antonio Birth Collective”, which seeks to
serve parents through education and practical support. Take a look: www.sabirthcollective.com
