Aspiring Doula Tips & Virtual Doula Support

Doula That!

· Balancing doula work with family life as a single mom. 0:00

o Aspiring doula struggles with balancing work and family responsibilities as a single mom to young children.

· Challenges of being a single parent and doula. 2:09

o Single mom of a five-year-old faces stress as a primary caregiver and seeks support for safety net and community.

o Consider creating a childcare plan with a neighbor or co-op to support each other during late-night calls.

· Doula work, business tips, and bartering. 5:21

o Ravae Sinclair suggests creating a business that supports birthing and postpartum families, such as meal prep or childbirth education, to help balance work and family life.

o Denise Bolds adds that there is a growing market for nutrition and meal prep services, and that skills in areas like yoga or art therapy can also be applied to parenting and family development.

o Ravae Sinclair and Denise Bolds discuss the option of bartering as a way for doulas to receive payment for their services, but Denise notes that this is not a common practice in New York City due to the limited availability of doulas and the need for them to work independently.

o Both Ravae and Denise agree that paying doula services off in installments is a more common practice in their area, with families paying for services as they receive them rather than all at once.

· Contracts and exchanges in birth doula work. 10:53

o Ravae Sinclair emphasizes the importance of written contracts for exchanging goods or services.

o Ravae Sinclair discusses challenges with upfront payments for birth and postpartum work, including the risk of non-refundable contracts and PayPal refunds.

· Birth work excellence and virtual doula support. 13:49

o Start services ASAP to avoid losing potential clients.

o Denise Bolds and Ravae Sinclair discuss the importance of promptly responding to clients and providing clear instructions for the next steps in the onboarding process.

o They emphasize the need to be responsive and proactive in communicating with clients, especially when it comes to exchanging deposits and initiating the onboarding process.

o Ravae Sinclair discusses virtual doula support reducing C-sections by 60%, with a higher impact on Black women.

· Virtual doula work challenges and skills. 19:52

o Denise Bolds highlights the importance of assessment skills in virtual doula work, using her experience as a social worker to provide valuable insights.

o Virtual doula work has become more prevalent since the pandemic, with successful cases in various locations, despite initial skepticism.

o Ravae Sinclair discusses the challenges of virtual doula work, including disruptions from technology and lack of continuity in support.

o Denise Bolds emphasizes the importance of being able to see and read people's emotions and reactions in real-time, which can be difficult with virtual technology.

o Ravae Sinclair shares her experience as a virtual doula, navigating technical issues and preparing partners for birth while remote.

o Ravae emphasizes the importance of staying connected and consistent for virtual doula work, especially for inexperienced practitioners.

Virtual Doula (part 2)

Summary

• Pricing for virtual doula services vs in-person support.
• Ravae Sinclair discusses pricing for virtual doula services, acknowledging the difference in workload and value compared to in-person support.
• Virtual doula work and pricing.
• Denise Bolds emphasizes the importance of hands-on experience and assessment skills for virtual doulas, citing her own 10-year experience with over 287 births.
• Ravae Sinclair disagrees, arguing that lower prices for virtual doula services make them more accessible and affordable for clients, despite potentially lower levels of work.
• Ravae Sinclair, a virtual doula, discusses the importance of in-person comfort measures during childbirth rehearsals, even if a virtual doula is being used.
• Ravae is open to working with a local birth worker in addition to her virtual doula services, to ensure proper assessment and comfort measures during childbirth.
• Virtual doula support during pandemic.
• Labor and delivery team's support is crucial for successful virtual doula support during birth.
• Ravae Sinclair emphasizes the importance of virtual doula support and formal training for navigating technical and emotional challenges.
• Doula support during childbirth, focusing on virtual work.
• Doulas discuss challenges of providing virtual support during pandemic and potential catastrophic incidents.
• Denise Bolds and Ravae Sinclair emphasize the importance of anticipation and being proactive as a virtual doula, helping families navigate challenging situations with ease.
• Anticipation is key to providing valuable support, as it allows virtual doulas to prepare families for what's coming next and make informed decisions quickly.
• Virtual doula support during the pandemic.
• Denise Bolds and Ravae Sinclair discuss the importance of continuous electronic connection during childbirth, including video calls and speakerphone use.
• They emphasize the need for consistent electronic connection to avoid missing important information and ensure a smooth and comfortable birth experience.
• Ravae Sinclair and Denise Bolds discuss the importance of virtual support for doulas during the pandemic, including the need for extra phone numbers and a lighthouse role.
• They emphasize the value of working through insecurities and concerns, and encouraging feedback from listeners.

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How to find us:

Ravae Sinclair @birthconnections and natlbirthpostpartumpros

Denise Bolds @BoldDoula and @blackwomendovbac

Website: www.doulathatpodcast.com

IG:@doulathatpodcast

Platforms: Apple, Spotify, Stitcher & Google