Taking the Guess Work Out of Your Doula Prenatal Visits

I’m a member of many, many Doula Facebook groups and if I had a dollar for every time someone posted something like: “I’m a new doula and have my first prenatal visit with a client next week - I don’t know what to do. Anyone have tips?” I’d have several hundred dollars at least!

The unfortunate reality about this career is that many new doulas don’t get the guidance they need or want from their doula trainer or their local doula community and are forced to do a lot of research on their own. I, myself, had very little guidance as a new doula back in 2008 and had to forge my way through a lot of unknowns. Honestly, this is one of the biggest reasons National Baby Co exists, because I don’t want other doulas to have to feel alone as they navigate their way through the first year or so after their doula training.

So if you’re a doula, whether you’re brand new or are looking to fine tune your business, I’m here to share helpful information on prenatal visits with your doula clients.

All About Doula Prenatal Visits

Prenatal visits are a time to meet with your new clients, get to know them better, and get clear on their expectations and preferences for birth or postpartum. Additionally they’re an opportunity for you to impart some knowledge and demonstrate the inherent value of doula support.

Most doulas offer anywhere from 1-3 prenatal visits, however, doulas with other specialities may include additional visits and provide enhanced offerings like hypnosis sessions, prenatal massage, private childbirth education and more. Each visit typically lasts 1-2 hours and reviews a multitude of topics like birth plans, comfort measures, preparing for postpartum, breastfeeding, and when to call your doula… just to name a few.

Truthfully the topics are endless, but the ultimate goal to prenatal visits is connection, empowerment and confidence.

What You Need to Structure Your Doula Prenatal Visits

It’s helpful to structure your prenatal visits in a way that is professional, yet casual. Having an agenda (no matter how flexible) is key!

When I first became a doula I didn’t have much structure to my visits and they felt slightly chaotic at times. I’d rely on the natural flow of conversation to keep things moving and a few times this led to awkward pauses and me scrambling to come up with new topics of discussion. It didn’t take long for me to realize that having a consistent structure allowed me to better prepare and to drive the conversation in ways that made the most sense for everyone! Additionally the structure ensured that we covered all the important topics while still leaving room for light-hearted conversation and getting to know each other. Not to mention it took so much pressure off of me to try to remember things in the moment!

How you structure your visits should feel natural to you and should reflect the type of doula that you are. Having a loose outline of topics you want to cover, some hands-on activities to keep your clients engaged, and having a set start & end time are all things that I highly recommend including when planning your doula prenatal.

If you’re like most doulas you’ve probably Googled or posted in Facebook groups asking for insight and help with your client meetings. I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be very complicated! We have actually created a comprehensive guide to prenatal visits that will help you design simple, straight forward, and fun prenatal visits. It’s available on our website here.

This is exactly the structure I’ve used in my own prenatal visits for the last 14 years and it hasn’t failed me yet! Trust me, it’s a wonderful resource to get your hands on and includes TONS of information, customizable handouts for your clients, hands-on activities and more. I wish I had this when I was a new doula because it would have saved me SO much time.

Professionalism Matters in Your Doula Prenatal Visits

I cannot stress enough the importance of professionalism in your work as a doula. Even if you’re just starting out or if you consider doula work a “side gig”, being a professional is vital not only for your businesses growth, but also for the reputation of doulas everywhere.

Find a set of systems and a rhythm that works for you and your business and stick to it! It’s easy to overcomplicate things, but some of the simplest things are going to make running your business so much easier! Things like using a CRM or creating canned emails to send out to clients before or after your meetings. Or printing out our free prenatal checklist and putting it in each clients file so you have reminders of how and when to follow up.

Focus on good communication and following through on everything you say you’ll do. And regularly assess how your business operates and change things up if you need to!

Your clients are seeking warmth, compassion and guidance, but your professionalism as a doula will also speak volumes!

Mastering Your Doula Prenatal Visits

If you’re a brand new doula, know that it may take a little while for you to feel comfortable in this new role. There is nothing wrong with learning as you go! But take it from me, glean from those around you and invest in resources to make running the business side of things easier. In doing so, you’ll free up loads of time and energy that you can spend on finding new clients. And the more clients you get, the more practice you have at structuring and hosting prenatal visits and the more relaxed you will feel when planning them! Before you know it, you’ll be a master at the art of prenatal visits and will be paying it forward and sharing your wisdom with other doulas.

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