Interviewing Doulas! What to ask?

[Epiphany]

DH and I will be interviewing a couple of doulas this week. I am SO excited as I really think a doula will be a huge help during this birth. This will be a VBAC in a hospital that is very good about VBACs but still has a few policies regarding them that I will be waiving.
Our first concern about the Doula is that we all get along and that our philosophies mesh well. I have a few questions prepared to ask but would love some input from women here who have had, or are going to have, a doula.

Thanks!

[melamama]

I used a doula for my first homebirth, but didn't really need one for my second--but I did interview quite a few the second time around.

Here is a list of quesitons from the Dona website that you could use.

I think the most important things once you get past the basic questions are the vibe you get personally from the doula, for both you and your partner; and asking for and checking their references.

[honeybee]

Once the doula we interviewed went through her entire spiel, there wasn't much left to ask her! The most important thing is just to get a feel for how you connect. Both dh and I liked her right away. She was fabulous, and I would definitely recommend a doula for a hospital birth.

[Epiphany]

Thank you both. We are meeting with our first interviewee tomorrow. We've already talked a bit, and I really like her. She is very supportive of my VBAC and the waiving of several standard hospital policies.

So we'll see. Thanks again for the input!!

[Birth Junky]

Good luck with your interview, Epiphany!

I am meeting with a doula-in-training today to talk with her about attending our birth . . . I originally found her when I was looking for a no-cost post-partum doula, and when I found out she was training as a birth doula as well, I offered her an invitation to add to her birth experience.

I'm not really sure what we will talk about. Even after having been on the other side of the interview several times, I'm not quite sure what to ask! I'm just hoping to get a feel for her personality, so that I can tell if we will mesh well or not. I'm also not planning on relying on her for my primary source of support, so it is important to me to figure out if she is okay with being more of an observer.

Hope yours goes well! I think doulas can make a big difference in many women's birth experiences, and hope that you find a great one!