Calling all Doulas! Need your advice!

[HopefullyMama]

...or Childbirth Educators, or Homebirthing mamas, or any one else who needs child care, short-notice.

I'm wondering if you ladies could give me a little guidance.  I'm moving back into the area in May.  I'm a Maryland native who has been living in Manhattan as a nanny for the past 18 months; I've been a nanny for 7+ years.  I also took an amazing DONA Birth Doula workshop with the one-of-a-kind Debra Pascali-Bonaro (the author of "Orgasmic Birth").  

I'm wondering what to focus on when I come home.  My first doula client is due on April 27th (in Baltimore...she's my best friend :-D), and I'd love to do some more birth doula work.  However, my bread and butter has always been childcare.  I'm really good at what I do, and I love it.  But scheduled, day-time nanny work is NOT compatible with doula work.  What if I needed to leave in the middle of a shift to attend a birth?!?

I was thinking that maybe I could combine the two.  In other words, being a childcare provider FOR doulas in the area, but only on-call when I wasn't at a birth (which would really only be 24-48 hours per month if I did 1-2 births).  

Think about about it this way.  Need someone to watch your kids before your husband gets home from work because you need to leave for a birth at 2pm? I'm available to hang out and help with homework.  Need to leave in the middle of the night to get to the hospital?  I can help get your kids ready for school early in the morning.  I'm comfortable watching several kids of different ages at the same time, and really want to create a cohesive community to allow doulas to do what they do best.  It would be an as-needed (much like "drop-in") basis, and I think it could be a pretty creative solution to a very real problem.

I'm also very in-tune with the community.  I'm a truly AP nanny, which I think is a real rarity.  I also educating myself on Montessori Infant education, and practicing natural family living within my own home.  

What do you think would be the market for something like this in the area?  Is it workable?  I know doulas in NYC have a huge issue with childcare, and I've been happy to provide service to this community (I've acted as a nanny for two birth doulas jsut starting their career here).  

Let me know what you think!!

[juneboymum]

Where exactly do you think you'll be relocating to?  If you decide to go back into childcare, we are looking for a part-time nanny (in NE Baltimore county) and know plenty of other AP families who could use one!  Good Luck!

[HopefullyMama]

Thanks for replying.  We are probably moving into the Northern Baltimore County area (Somewhere around Sparks / Butler / Glyndon area).  

I feel like I may end up just going back into straight childcare at the end of the day.  But I'd really love to try my hand at Doula work.  Unfortunately they just ARE NOT practical to do at the same time, but gosh darn-it I'm going to try to finagle a way! 

Either way, I'd love to keep in touch with anyone that needs childcare in the area, too.  Thanks for the tip! 

[jenniepaige]

What an AWESOME idea! If I still did doula work and you were in Frederick I would SO take you up on it! Hope it works out the way you want it to.

[HopefullyMama]

Thanks, jenniepaige!  Do you have any recommendations on who to get in contact with, or who I could let know that I'm available to start this kinda of work?  Are there any doula groups or co-ops in the area that I could get into contact with?  Maybe talk to the midwives in the area too?

Any tips or advice would be REALLY appreciated 

[pinkgeek]

I would check out alldoulas.com for people in the area - there are groups on there for different regions.

[womancaredoula]

There is a meeting of the Maryland Birth Network (Google) on Sat. afternoon.  The topic is postpartum doulas and you could probably meet some doulas there to start networking.  ICAN of Baltimore meetings will resume in the fall and we usually have some doulas attend each meeting.  There is a Baltimore/DC doula yahoo list and I believe a Northern Baltimore County doula networking group. 

-Barbara S.