Potential clients often ask us, "When is the best time to reach out to you to see if we want to hire you for our birth?" While the real answer is "anytime," we encourage you to talk to us as soon as you think you might be interested in doula support! The fee for doula support is $950 and that fee is the same if you hire us the day you pee on your pregnancy test or if you wait to hire us until you are feeling your first contractions in labor. Here are some reasons to hire us early in your pregnancy...
Our Calendar. We only take a certain number of clients each month. We always want to be dedicated to the clients that we do have and because of that, we can't accept every client who contacts us. It depends on the month, but we are usually full one to two months in advance. When I (Jessica) was pregnant with my first baby, I was on the fence about doula support because it's a big financial commitment. Finally, at 36 weeks pregnant, I knew that I wanted Natural Baby Doulas to be my doulas because I had been in childbirth classes with them. I reached out to them and their schedule was already full and I was devastated. I was so mad at myself for not hiring them earlier! Nevertheless, if you are late in your pregnancy, always reach out to us. Sometimes our calendar doesn't get full and we can take late hires. Other times clients will deliver early and we will have unexpected room in our schedule. It never hurts to contact us! The latest hires we've had - there was a mom who drove to High Point on her due date from Atlanta because she wanted to go to a VBAC friendly provider. She called us the day she drove in town and I did a consultation with her a couple of hours later. During my meeting with her, she was having contractions. I went home and then she called me back a few hours later to join her at the hospital. She had a VBAC 12 hours later! A few times we've had clients hire us the day they realize they are being induced and we join them for their induction. It truly never hurts to see if we have availability last minute!
The Relationship. We value the relationships we build with our clients. We often times tell our clients that they are the ones who control how much contact they have with us. We want to know what is going on with our clients but we won't text you to bother you if everything is well. We always say that boring updates are the best updates in pregnancy because that means that everyone is healthy! We make a group text with our clients soon after they hire us with all the doulas who are on call for that client. That way all of us are updated on you and can respond to you quickly. Our contract says that you have unlimited text / phone support in pregnancy and postpartum - and we mean that! So hire us early on and get to know us as we get to know you. The better we know you, the sweeter that relationship it's time for your birth.
A Resource. We are a resource for you through your pregnancy. Morning sickness remedies? Back soreness? Exercise suggestions? Childbirth education help? Need someone to vent to? That's us! We are basically your pregnancy best friends and support you all the way though. And rather than projecting our birth experiences on to you (I'm sure your friends don't mean to do this, but we know that moms like to share their stories which may or may not be terrifying), we are there to listen, help you process, and direct you in a productive and encouraging way. You will want this resource through your pregnancy - not just at the end!
So, really, when should you reach out to us? You can reach out whenever you are comfortable. Our initial consultation with you is always free. We want to make sure that we are a good fit for your growing family. Sometimes clients reach out and we do a consultation early in pregnancy and then they decide to move forward with us after their first ultrasound or when they hear their baby's heartbeat. The most common time for clients to hire us is between 15-32 weeks. If you'd like to get to know us, reach out to us through our website or email us at contact@naturalbabydoulas.com
