How do I know who is the best doula for my birth team?

We are so lucky to live in the Tampa Bay area, there are many experienced doulas full of passion and drive and most of all energy for this type of service. So out of all the choices you have, you may wonder, “how do I know which is the right fit?”Let me start by saying that there IS the right doula for you. This is a very intimate type service and you are selecting someone who will be at your side during one of the most life changing events of your life, the birth of your baby. I can relate to your worry about making the right choice. I suggest you find the doula that speaks your language! What do I mean by that? Interview a few doulas, many suggest to limit your interviewing to three, more than that can be overwhelming. Prepare your choice of questions in advance. Your questions should relate to what is important to you. As doulas, we want to meet you at your level of need and we are also honest in taking clients we can properly serve.With that being said: Are you a person that wants someone with a strong background in the medical field? Someone that has attended 100’s of births? Someone that has had experience with twin pregnancies? There are so many other areas of expertise that I can list. Keep in mind, you are building your birth team, it is completely ok to have follow up questions, and expect to feel a connection with this person when trying to decide on your final decision.We offer a complimentary consultation, and so do many of our local doulas. And I encourage all prospective clients to sit with us face-to-face with whatever questions they may have,  circle back if there are follow up questions/doubts, because most of the time we start chatting during our meeting and deviate from the actual “interview” (which is great) but I want you to be completely sure of your choice because then we will have an even better labor/birth outcome for you. In summary, get out there call a few of these amazing doulas in our area and find the one that speaks to you, you deserve a doula!