I, Tracy, was a solo doula for 11 years.
When I first started as a labor doula, I didn’t take a lot of clients. My children were small, then I was pregnant and breastfeeding, so I intentionally kept my calendar light. I rarely had clients who gave birth close together.
My children grew, as did my business. Before long, I was looking at a full calendar of clients.
If you’re aware of how birth works, you may know that birth happens when it happens. No matter how a doula spaces her clients on the calendar, there’s always a risk for multiple clients birthing at the same time or the same day, or back-to-back days. (Once I had two clients due 8 weeks apart give birth a day apart.)
Along the same lines, most solo doulas have an “on-call” window for their clients so the doula can do things like go on vacation or visit family, etc. Birth happens when it happens and sometimes falls outside of that “on-call” window.
How professional solo doulas deal with the risk of overlapping client births, travel, injuries, or family emergencies is to secure a backup doula who will attend in their place. In most circumstances, this doula is not someone the client has met.
Birth happens when it happens. It is sometimes necessary to have your doula call in a backup doula to your birth. It is sometimes unavoidable to have your doula call in someone you haven’t met. But, it can still suck to not have the doula you know at your birth.
Even with scattered due dates, clients can go into labor day, after day, after day. Birth happens when it happens. When your birth is the 3rd your doula has this week, exhaustion can set in. When your birth goes into the 24th hour, exhaustion can set in. I know I gave it my all in these circumstances for years, but my all was less than if I had gotten sleep. (Ask me sometime about an October where I had 5 births in 7 days. Doula math at its finest.)
The agency model is different.
In the agency model, you have a doula team. It isn’t a primary doula and a backup doula.
You have a team of doulas.
A team of doulas who go on call the moment you sign the contract. We’re available 24/7 for you you’re entire pregnancy and not just after 38 weeks.
A team of doulas who have a shared philosophy. Each doula carries the name Rocket City Doulas and practices in a way that shares common beliefs, goals, and philosophies.
A team of doulas who support you through your entire pregnancy together.
A team of doulas who have a relationship with you before birth.
A team of doulas who bring multiple ideas, information, and suggestions to your unique situation. Teamwork makes the dream work, right? More knowledge, different perspectives, and experiences.
A team of doulas who know you and your birth preferences.
A team of doulas who share call, so the chance of calling in a backup doula to attend your birth that you don’t know is small.
A team of doulas who are certified and insured.
A team of doulas who have accountability through the agency.
A team of doulas who support you professionally.
A team of doulas who are focused on you and your birth.
A team of doulas who are well-rested and the best version of themselves at your birth.
All of us at Rocket City Doulas know that solo doulas are doing the very best that they can. They’re working with what they have. A solo doula may still be the route that you decide is best for you. We know that it’s a “new” idea in North Alabama and that sometimes change is scary. But, we passionately believe that the agency model with shared call is a more sustainable, consistent, and dependable model of pregnancy and labor support.
We invite you to contact us to learn more and to and experience the team of doulas difference!
