childless doulas?

[guerrillamama]

my friend (who wants to be a doula, as mentioned in previous thread) and i were discussing the fact that she hasn't had a baby. i was wondering if any of you have the same deal, and how your clients/potential clients react? do you think people are less willing to hire/trust a doula who hasn't been thru it herself? tia! (we have lots of other ?'s but i will tell her to join the board and ask them herself!)

[Victorian]

I am a doula, and I have children, but 3 of my past partners have been childless (2 went to midwifery school, and one to medical school). All three of them were amazing doulas that I would have used in a second. Being a doula is about a lot more than being a mother, it is the way that you view a birthing woman and the way that you want to help.

I think that childless doulas have some advantages, such as not needing to find childcare, and not bring their own birth experiences to the birthroom. On the other hand they have some disadvantages, some women want a doula that has BTDT, and they really can't fanthom the pain and intensity of the experience. Not that that makes them less good as a doula, just different.

All three of those doulas were reasonably busy, and although I am sure that they lost some job because of it, I have lost some for other reasons such as being too young (30?)

Victorian

[jerawo]

I would also keep in mind that not all childless doulas have actively chosen not to have children. I'm working through my doula certification now, and have no children yet. As much as I would like to be pregnant, I can't right now for health reasons.

[KKmama]

We just hired our doula last night, and she has no kids. But she so obviously knows her stuff and loves babies. We felt a connection with her that we didn't feel with the others we interviewed. A plus you may not have considered... a couple of the others really seemed to be projecting their own birth experiences onto me when we were interviewing them, which made me uncomfortable. A childless doula can't do that...

[guerrillamama]

jerawo - yeah, i didn't mean to imply that at all. my friend definitely plans to have kids someday and will be a great mom! i was just wondering if people tend to prefer doulas who have been thru it themselves. sorry to hear about your health issues, good luck to you...:hug

kkmama - good point!

victorian - geez, i hadn't even thought about age. my friend is a few years younger than you and looks way younger. oh well, i guess she's used to dealing w/ that bias.

anyway, i'll stop speaking for her, send her this link, and tell her to join MDC herself!

[veganmamma]

There are even childless midwives!! My doula had 3 children but her backup and now one of my good friends has been TTC for a long time now, She is a student/apprentice midwife and an awesome doula. I think it is really about who you jive with, yk? I will have my childless friend at my next birth for sure.

[damongeau]

The doula who was with me when I had my dd did not have any children. What she did have was a natural empathy and a great deal of experience. The best part; this spring I will get to doula for my doula!!!! Turn about is fair play. I hope I do half as well as she did!

[mellie-bellie]

My last birth was attendend by both a child-free midwife and child-free doula....and they were everything I could possibly want for birth attendents! I'd use both again in a heartbeat :)