As a veteran doula I get a lot of questions each day about hiring a birth or postpartum doula or other newborn care support. One of the most common questions is “When should I hire a doula?”

My answer: YESTERDAY.

I know by telling you that you should have hired someone yesterday, that it sounds like it’s too late, but really it’s likely not, so DO NOT PANIC. I simply say “yesterday” to stress the urgency of hiring someone as soon as possible.

There are several reasons why I recommend hiring someone ASAP, the biggest one being so that you have plenty of time to get comfortable with your doula or newborn specialist before you go into labor. This is someone you’ll be creating a relationship with. Someone who will be with you at some of your toughest, most vulnerable, but also most joyful moments. It is important that you take time in your search and that don’t feel rushed or pressured into hiring someone. It’s also important that you trust the person that you hire. Trust can take time to build, so hiring someone earlier in pregnancy will provide ample opportunities to build that trust.

Another reason for starting your doula or newborn care search early is so that you have the largest selection of top-notch candidates available. The ones who’ve been in this business for years get booked up FAST. I’m not kidding you when I say that I’ve had clients call me the day they pee on the stick to reserve my services. The more clients a doula serves, the more referrals they’re going to receive - from friends, family, even OBGYNs, Midwives, and Pediatricians. Which means they often fill up their calendars 6-9 months in advance.

That’s not to say that the doulas who don’t have a full calendar aren’t amazing. Maybe they don’t work full-time, or they have young kids so they keep their schedule a bit lighter. They possibly just returned from maternity leave themselves and have a more open calendar. Or, while trained & experienced, they haven’t yet had the influx of referrals that comes with years and years of doula work. Or maybe they are newly trained or certified and working on getting their name out into the community.

No matter when you choose to begin your search of birth or postpartum support, keep in mind that doulas and newborn care specialists only take a limited number of clients each month. They do so to create balanced schedules and provide ample space for rest and recovery between clients. This ensures that you have a healthy and well-rested doula supporting you.

When interviewing doulas it can be helpful to ask them what their schedule looks like for your estimated due date, and if they are getting booked up fast and you feel a strong connection, we recommend booking their services quickly to reserve your dates on their calendar. Because once they’re booked, they will turn other potential clients away.

So then comes the next question: “Is it ever too late to hire a newborn care specialist or doula?”

My answer: NO!

While hiring a doula earlier in pregnancy gives you time to build trust and offers the widest selection of options, it is never too late to interview and hire someone. Choices may be more limited but it can never hurt to ask for what you need and see what comes of it. Waiting too long, may be a gamble as your requests not be fully met, but again, it doesn’t hurt to inquire. Due dates are unpredictable and it’s possible their clients gave birth early, opening up a last minute spot. And if you’re looking for postpartum care last minute you may have to work with two doulas in order to fill your ideal schedule. This is something we can help you set up through our matching service.

When you hire a doula is a personal decision and can depend on a number of factors like emotional readiness and finances. Some people may want to wait until they’re past a certain point in pregnancy, while others are comfortable hiring someone as early as possible. Whatever you choose, we are available to help match you with qualified, compassionate doulas and newborn care specialists to support your birth parenting journey.