I'd like to run this question by the community since I have reached the point in my business where I consistently need a back-up, or possibly more than one, in order to accept more birth clients. Just a little bit of context for you: birth attendance work in Italy is very very rare, Italian mothers are not familiar with the work of doulas and many hospitals simply do not allow us in. Only a handful of us actually have birth attendance experience, most doulas here are postpartum doulas. Over the years, I've actually managed to kind of break through this barrier, especially since I work with international clients who sometimes opt for homebirths, and when they don't, hospitals do find my presence useful to overcome the language barrier. So (knock on wood) this seems to be working and I am now receiving more requests than I can manage on my own. The thing is, I am finding it very very challenging to find one or more reliable back-ups. Since birth attendance is much more common in the US, I'd like to ask for your guidance and advice. For those of you who work with back-ups, did you go through a selection process with them, a sort of interview perhaps? If so, would you be willing to share what that was like and if there are any questions you'd absolutely ask a potential work partner? How do you manage contracts and payments? Are there any further insights you'd share with me on this matter? Thank you so much in advance, I am looking forward to reading what you all will have to say re this. 🙏

I’m sure everyone here has noticed the uptick in anxiety with clients, but I’m wondering if you have also noticed an increase in exclusively pumping moms because it gives them peace of mind knowing exactly how much their baby is getting?Trying to guide and educate some clients and friends on this front. how do you explain tactfully the differences and benefits of breastfeeding over exclusively pumping? (If they have the option)

What’s one goal you want to accomplish over the next 90 days?

This mama is a very warm lead. She reached out asking about my services but I’m having trouble getting her on a call.

How many consult booked this week? 0 1–2 3–5 5+ No judgment at all—just want to see where everyone’s at 🤍