Doula experience

[Aefeth]

Hi Everyone,

I am in the process of choosing a doula for my birth and I was wondering if anyone has perspective on how many births a doula should have attended to be considered "experienced".

I know this is a totally subjective question, I guess I'm just wondering if anyone has any opinion on what would make them "experienced enough". 50? 100? 200?

I met someone I like, but she has been to less than 25 births, which makes me slightly nervous since it's not a whole lot. I realize the expense of hiring someone who has been to fewer births will be lower, but I am not basing my decision on cost so that's not really important to me. DH arbitrarily threw out 50 and when I told him how many she had been to he said he didn't think that was enough.

I would greatly appreciate any advice/info you can give!!!

Thanks in advance :)

I've had two doulas, one with dc2 and one with dc3. Both were students and had attended 2 or 3 births as doulas, though one was a retired midwife who had presumably attended hundreds in that capacity! I couldn't have afforded a more experienced doula anyway, but I was very happy with both of them and really just felt that I 'clicked' with them. We had similar birth philosophies etc. Funnily enough I felt I clicked better with the one who hadn't been a midwife - I would have booked her again but she was on holiday in my due date!

I guess what I'm saying is, IMO experience is only one part of the issue. Personality, empathy, shared philosophy, training etc. is important too. If you were asking about hiring a midwife then absolutely experience would be extremely important, but a doula isn't going to be doing anything medical or that could put you or your baby at risk.

Unlike hospital midwives, doulas generally only book one client at a time. They usually only book clients who have at least 4 weeks between their due dates (I personally won't book clients that have less than 6 weeks between due dates). This is to make sure that we aren't called out to two births on the same day. Afterall we cannot be in two places at once. This means it would take a doula between 4 and 6 years to do 50 births, if she never had any time off. And that is assuming that there is enough of a demand for doulas in her area for her to be that busy. So finding a doula with 200 births under her belt would mean finding one with at least 16 years' experience.

When hiring a doula the most important thing you should look for is connection. It's not about previous experience (although if that makes you feel more comfortable then it's equally important) When you meet 'your' doula you should feel a connection that makes you feel like she is there solely to support you, she isn't responsible for the actual physicality of the birth process but she is there to protect your space and your emotional wellbeing. I had a doula and when she walked in the room whilst I was in labour made me feel as though my mum had turned up (She's not old enough to be my mum) and relaxed me instantly and supported me through each and every contraction. For me that was my main concern as I knew the midwife would take care of all the medical care. For me I needed emotional support :)

And I agree with the ladies that say 'clicking' with your doula is the most important thing.

If I had to choose between a doula with 500 births under her belt, who I didn't really click with, and a doula who had attended 2 births, but with whom I felt a real connection with, I'd go with the second.

My dc's birth was only the 6th that my doula had attended. She was wonderful and her input had such a positive impact on the whole experience. I wouldn't focus on the numbers, just choose the one you feel most comfortable with and who you feel will have the most positive influence on the day

The connection you have with your doula is the most important thing. She will be with you at a very intimate and important time in your life, regardless of how many births she has been to.
Doulas are not medically trained, we are there to "BE" with the couple not to "DO" much... every single birth is different and no matter how many births you have attended, you will ALWAYS be surprised and should never expect things to go one way or another. Each time I think I've nailed it (yes you've guessed I'm a doula too!) something happens that shows me that I will NEVER stop learning. We have a strong community and pass on our knowledge to each other as much as we can. Yes, a more experienced doula might have seen more births but it doesn't mean she will be the best for you and your husband.

Remember, she is not like a midwife, she will not diagnose, advise or tell you to do anything, because it is not her place. Her presence and how she makes you feel must be what you're looking at :)

Just for my own curiosity, how do midwives generally view doulas?

I'd say 20 births is quite a lot, especially when you consider a student midwife only needs to be hands-on at 40 births to qualify! But I absolutely agree with other posters, I'd say the connection you have is far more important than anything else- I've seen women be incredibly supported by doulas, they just 'know' what you need, it's instinctive, and every person is different so regardless of how many births they've attended, yours will be unique to both them and you! I'm a midwife, and to answer Ninja's question, I have massive respect (and envy!) for doulas- I think all midwives essentially want to be doulas, to provide that support and reassurance during such a special time, but unfortunately we're often tied down by policies/paperwork/etc. I would recommend all women have a doula!x