How fertility work fits into my doula business

Like all doulas, I connect with clients all different ways. A lot of my clients are referred to me by other clients or other members of our community. I connect with clients through social media. Some of my clients are people I've known for years. One third of my birth doula clients were fertility clients first (I counted!). Some fertility clients move through their conception journeys with relative ease and others experience longer journeys. Some fertility clients find that they benefit most from a lot of ongoing support and come for sessions twice every month and others come at times when they are especially challenged by their journey and are needing that extra support.

Not all fertility clients feel that they need birth support once they become pregnant but many do. Some pregnant clients come for Reiki sessions during their pregnancy whether they are birth doula clients or not. Every journey is unique.

Most of my fertility clients that decide they would like birth doula support probably wouldn't have considered having a doula had they not experienced fertility support. I know this because occasionally I cannot accommodate a whole on call period around someone's due date because of a family commitment or travel. At those times, I always give my clients the option to meet a number of other doulas who may be available for the entirety of their on call period. I also suggest having a backup doula cover the days when I may not be available. It is not uncommon for clients to say something like "We will take our chances. We really just want you there." This tells me that we've already established the intimate relationship that exists between a doula and her clients. We know each other. They have developed a trust in me and it can be overwhelming to start thinking about starting over with someone else. Some of them will even say "It's not that I want a doula, I just want you there." They have become accustomed to calm, confident support. They understand the benefit of emotional support. They connect with what I personally bring to the table. It's flattering and in my opinion, it's a wonderful way to start a birth doula - client relationship, with a solid foundation.

I connect with all of my birth doula clients in our own unique way. Every journey is perfect and I cherish every opportunity I have had to connect with a family while they're welcoming their newest loved one. Being an intimate participant in the conception journey certainly adds another layer. To have held space for a mother or father to be while they move through all of the emotions that trying to conceive can bring, getting to know them while they get to know themselves on a deeper level, learning that they are pregnant and walking beside them through their pregnancy and then seeing them finally hold their baby, sometimes after a multi-year journey, it's the greatest honour and I'll never take for granted how fortunate I am to be entrusted as a space holder on such an intense journey. If you are a doula or if you are inspired to do fertility work, I would love to teach you how to do the work I do. You can learn more about training opportunities with me here.