Shows
Doula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodDoula Must Recover to Avoid BurnoutASK A QUESTION!!! My plan is to start Friday Q&A (we need a new name, I know!) but first I need your questions! Submit them using the form below:https://www.harroddoulaservices.com/ask-me-a-questionBurnout - a topic doulas come back to often. We need to take it seriously before we are at its doorstep! How we recover and help support our own bodies has a direct impact on our future burnout possibilities. As doulas the work we do is exhausting. It is hard. It is beautiful. It is...
2025-04-0712 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodHow Should a Doula Eat While Supporting a Client?Never want to miss what we’re doing for doulas? Subscribe to our newsletter! We won’t spam you, but we do promise amazing content and classes! https://www.harroddoulaservices.com/newsletterAre you loving the Doula Tips and Tits Podcast? If so we’d be so appreciative of your support! You have the option to choose monthly support starting at just $3 a month. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1916032/supporters/newFood is something that can be easily overlooked when looking at preparing for a birth. Taking care of...
2023-09-1310 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodWhat Should A Doula Know About Placenta Options?Are you loving the Doula Tips and Tits Podcast? If so we’d be so appreciative of your support! You have the option to choose monthly support starting at just $3 a month. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1916032/supporters/newDoulas should be aware of the multiple ways in which a person can use their placenta after giving birth. From encapsulation to tinctures, there are various options available to those interested in utilizing the potential benefits of this organ. Understanding the different methods and their potential benefits and contraindications can...
2023-07-2826 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodHow Do Doulas Advocate For Clients?Doulas do advocate, we talked about that in the last episode which is linked below. But HOW? How do doulas advocate without making decisions for our clients? Or making a birth scenario about us? That’s today’s episode. How do doulas advocate for their clients during a birth? What are some phrases and strategies doulas can use to advocate for their clients? One big prenatal step is writing a birth plan. This gives the client time to decide what their thoughts are on things and also gives you a reference to point back to. Ei...
2023-06-2323 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodHow Do I Know What I Don’t Know?What do I need to know to be a doula? What might I be missing? What if there’s something crucial that I’ve never known and I find it out later?? These are hard questions, but normal questions! When we are coming to anything new we are faced with questions like theses that can be debilitating if we let them be!So how do we bridge this gap and not just leave new doulas feeling swept away by the anxiety of what they don’t know? I want to propose two main ways in thi...
2023-05-3110 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodWhat Do New Doulas Need to Know About Websites?Doulas need things that all businesses need! Websites, branding, marketing, networking, etc. Today we are working on websites! What to write, when to write it and how to make it work for you. Doulas can let their websites speak to their ideal client before ever connecting with them on a call.If you’re working on websites Erin Ollila is the person you want telling you what to write on it! She’s a wealth of knowledge and also hilarious! Her podcast Talk Copy To Me is one of the ways I learned about copy...
2023-05-2425 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodHow Does a Doula Space Out Due Dates?A baby race is what I affectionately call two babies coming on the same day. Today’s episode is a continuation of the last episode about planning for possible baby races and babies getting all mixed up together. Spacing out due dates is one way doulas help to avoid this situation, but it’s not entirely avoidable. How you space due dates is one thing, but landing on what makes you most comfortable with due dates may be something you figure out with time. Some doulas space by having a limit of how many peopl...
2023-05-1909 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodWhat do I do to Avoid Two Babies Coming at The Same Time?Avoiding a baby race is the aim of doulas near and far! Two babies coming at once when they are not both due at once is a contingency that a doula has to plan for, even if it’s unlikely, and even if it’s fairly rare. Having a solid backup system that works well and is full of trustworthy doulas is the biggest key in this regard.This episode and next will dive into having backup systems and also spacing out due dates. Today’s episode is talking about different ways to secure backup...
2023-05-1708 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodAs A Doula Am I Really An Entrepreneur?You are a doula. You are also a business owner. You’re self-employed! That can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! It is often something that I see doulas neglect. They want to be a doula, they are excited to work with clients, but they do NOT love the idea of running a business!Another amazing thing to aspire to (or being with if you have the finances!) is to hire a team of contractors or employees who are helping to run the business parts that are not your favorite bits. I ha...
2023-05-1214 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodHow Do I Work Around My Own Body's Limitations As A Doula?Doulas come in all shapes and sizes, for lack of a better phrase! We have all different struggles physically and otherwise just like all humans! As a person with various chronic conditions, I want to talk through doing doula work while also supporting your own body’s needs and limitations. Doula work is physically demanding work, so keeping your body well supported throughout the time you’re with a client is super important. I would venture to say that how you care for yourself in the in-between time is even more important! Sleep is key...
2023-05-1013 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodCan I Be A Doula If I’ve Never Had A Baby?Today’s topic is on a long list of biases and misconceptions people have about doula work. If we think about other professions we do not require that people have a specific experience in what they do before they do it, or ever for that matter. You can be an amazing doula whether or not you even have a womb! Or ever plan to have children. Or if you would love children but can’t have them. None of these things keep you from being an amazing doula!Not only is the answer to this...
2023-05-0513 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodHow is Doula Coaching Different From Doula Training?Doula Training and Certification is typically the first step into doula work. Doula coaching is a bit different because it’s the guidance you need as you’re putting your work into action after training is over. Doula trainings can leave you feeling excited and also overwhelmed as you set off to actually do this work.A coach should help you sort through your own approach as a doula, brainstorm and hammer out packages, help you figure out your next steps, etc. Of course, just like doulas, doula coaches all operate a little bit diff...
2023-05-0310 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodHow Do I Market Myself On Social?Social Media for Doulas can be intimidating! It is especially hard to think about competing with folks who have a whole social media team! As a new doula something is better than nothing and the more you regularly post the more you will flex the muscle of doing it. It will become loads easier with time.If you want a little slice of how my own online presence has grown over the years, I welcome you to go to Instagram and scroll to the VERY bottom of my feed. There’s no consistency. No co...
2023-04-2810 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodHow Do Doulas Find Clients?Finding doula clients is an imperative part of doula work. New doulas are often trying to figure out how to find doulas when they’re just getting started. I remember some advice of just approaching pregnant people who are out in the wild! The reality is that every doula needs various streams of clients, so there are multiple answers to this particular question.I like to refer to these as slow, medium and fast doula client strategies. Not every doula needs to do all of them, but they are all beneficial and all slightly di...
2023-04-2608 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodWhat Happens if I Don’t Know Everything?Being a new doula can make you feel a lot of imposter syndrome anyway, but when you feel the need to know absolutely everything that does NOT help! Everything is not something that anyone knows! A new doula or otherwise. One key to remember is that you DO know more than you think you do! You also have credible resources from training and books and online resources. So there are strategies that make you feel a little less like you don’t know. I suggest saying things like “I’m going to look up the evi...
2023-04-2111 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodWhat is a Meet The Doula Event?Meet The Doula events are meant to be a way for pregnant parents to learn about doulas and meet a few as well! It’s also an opportunity for doulas to get comfortable with talking about what they do and how they serve families without having to have people set up a doula consultation individually with each doula. I suggest thinking about how/where to meet doulas who could participate, think about locations that would work for hosting and audiences that already exist with pregnant people who are the right target audience. This not onl...
2023-04-1910 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodWhat do I do After a Birth?Just like before a birth it’s important to prepare (check out the last episode for that info!), it’s just as important to have a post-birth ritual or rhythm to help yourself recover. Births are a lot of work both physically and emotionally, so it’s vital to have a ritual of coming down from the work you’ve done as a doula and helping yourself be ready for the next client. This is one more of many things that are very personal in what it should include. So while I can’t tell you ex...
2023-04-1413 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodWhat do I do Before Heading to a Birth?Before heading into a birth it’s important to prepare yourself well so you can be as strong and ready as possible. One big unpredictable piece of this work is how long a birth could possibly be. Because of that it’s imperative that you prepare yourself before arrival so you can support your own wellbeing. We are all different in how we prepare, so this is just to get you started thinking about what may be a good routine or rhythm for you. We all need different things to both calm us, ground us, a...
2023-04-1212 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodHow do I Structure a Doula Consultation?I remember when I was super intimidated by Doula Consultations. I felt super awkward each time, unsure of what to say or how to engage in a meaningful way with prospective clients. I also always felt like I was selling myself rather than meeting this possible client to assess if we were a good fit for each other or not. Over time I shifted both my strategy and my mindset around these conversations which has made them significantly easier and more successful for me! This episode really dives into how I approach Doula consultations n...
2023-04-0718 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodHow Can I Make Myself Unique From Others in my area?If you live in an area full of doulas like I do it can feel a little intimidating to put yourself out there and seem like a different or unique option. I am firmly against the idea that you have to market yourself by saying you are the BEST or the ULTIMATE or any other bleh marketing words. You can set yourself apart by building relationships and showing your unique experience without needing to downplay anyone else in the field.While I can’t tell you exactly what to do to set yourself apart wi...
2023-04-0513 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodWhich Method of Advertising Your Business do You Think Has Been the Most Effective With Getting Clients?Marketing yourself as a doula is vital to the process of getting clients. Oftentimes the strategy that works the best varies from person to person. From referrals to social media to teaching classes and organically meeting pregnant people there are many different ways to approach meeting and working with clients.Location is also a big factor here because in smaller communities with fewer doulas you have the potential to have more exposure if you make good connections with providers and other people who work with pregnant people. If you are in a bigger city...
2023-03-3111 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodHow Can I Make My Doula Services Affordable in a Sustainable Way?Cost of doula services is a hot topic. As you know, I care deeply about people being paid well in this work. I do also care deeply about equity and access to doula care. I just firmly do not believe that should happen at the expense of the doulas. We need better systems in place to support families who have less financial resources and ALSO support doula work as a sustainable and well-paid career. Episodes About Doula Pay:Episode 94: How Much Do Doulas Get Paid?https://w...
2023-03-2912 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodHow Do You Manage Regular Life Stuff While Being On Call?From vacations to dinners with friends to Dr appointments for yourself or loved ones, there are things in life that you need to attend! How do you do that when you’re on call as a doula? This is a tricky part of our work; I’ll be the first to admit that! There’s a reason people buy shirts that say “unless I’m at a birth”! Episodes Mentioned:Episode 101: How Do I Take Time Off As a Doula?https://www.harroddoulaservices.com/kaely-daily-podcast/how-do-i-take-time-off-as-a-doulaE...
2023-03-2418 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodInvesting In Yourself And Your Business With Allison NevalgaToday I get to introduce you to Allison Nevalga of Kaya Ko Doula Services. She’s another of my Doula Biz Blueprint Coaching Students. She shares a bit about her own birth stories as well as how her doula business got started and has grown. Her unique perspective from where she started in her first pregnancy to where she is now is worth a listen! Meet Allison Nevalga of Kaya Ko Doula ServicesMy name is Allison Nevalga, and I am a certified full-spectrum doula trained by Dou...
2023-03-2228 minDoula Tips and Tits with Kaely HarrodReady to Go Full Time In Her Doula Business with Nikkea AndersonNikkea Anderson and I first connected when she was already trained as a doula but figuring out what she wanted to do and how to get started in this work. She was working full-time in daycare services and had been for many years. Fast forward to today and this is her final work in a daycare because she’s doing full time doula work in an agency and taking on private clients.She was struggling with imagining how work as a full-time doula could look. Sheknew she loved this fi...
2023-03-1720 min