Can I Work As a Doula if I Also Work Another Job Full Time?
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Kaely Harrod 0:01
We are on an unofficial series of doula work. I say unofficial only because I didn't intend for us to go down a whole rabbit trail of doula work, but here we are. And so today's question is, can I work as a doula if I also work another job? Full time? Welcome to doula Tips and Tips, the podcast where I answer one question about pregnancy postpartum or lactation. This is a space where it's safe to have questions and we're gonna give you real answers. We're not gonna beat around the bush or give you what we want you to know. We're going to answer in an evidence based way. I'm Kaylee Herat and experience doula mom of three lactation counselor and a childbirth educator. I started this work in part because of my own lack of answers in my journey of pregnancy and birth. And I'm on a mission for families to be well informed and well supported through this time. This is a space where you will learn about questions that you didn't even know that you should be asking, and have answers to ones that you're already asking. The whole purpose here is for you to feel a bit more educated and informed and competent in this journey that often feels very new, and a little bit disconcerting. If you have not already I would love for you to subscribe to this podcast so that you get updates when there are new episodes. or head to our website Herat doula services.com to subscribe to our email updates so that you get notifications when we have a new episode Episodes Episode out. Thank you for joining us today. Hello, and welcome back. Thank you so much for being a wonderful solid listener of this beautiful podcast. I am diving into this question today of can you work as a doula if you also work another job full time? Now the short answer is yes. But it also depends, right? So if you work a full time job that has some flexibility and your hours or like if you're able to work remotely entirely, or if you can work like at hours that are a little less conventional or something like that, then yes, it is something that lots of doulas do. Many people have this as sort of a part time side thing. However, there needs to be a good deal of flexibility in your full time work in order to make this doable, in part because doula work is unpredictable, right? So especially if you're going to work as a birth doula, then you really have to factor in the fact that you're on call. And you need to be available kind of at the drop of a hat to attend a birth. So that is a huge factor. Another thing that you want to just like consider when you're making this decision is what kind of doula work you want to do because some doula work is actually much more scheduled than birth work is also you don't have to make it look like everyone else makes it look right. So I know doulas who do like mainly texting support during a birth where someone hires them just to be able to ask questions as they go through the process, but not to ever physically be present. So that's work that you could in theory do during another job, right. So it really does depend on how you want this to look and kind of how it should play out for your desires. We'll be right back after this short message from our sponsor. The birth prep blueprint course is a guide from pregnancy to postpartum, giving you the competence to walk through this journey. However it might play out. It is pre recorded on demand content, so you do not have to fit your busy schedule around a class or meeting time. You can go back and revisit the lessons as much as you need to, and you can watch or listen to them on your own time. This curriculum has left many families feeling confident in their decisions, knowing what questions to ask their providers, and knowing when they should be concerned in all of these periods. One of the biggest parts of this work in terms of preparing families and walking through this journey is knowing that you have a guide to rely on and that's exactly what this class is. Students have told me they felt like I was walking them along a path to know what to watch for and what to not be worried about. Because you are here as a listener, you get the opportunity to have a 10% off discount on this class. That code is podcast. It is in the show notes as well along with the link to use to check out for the class I I do really recommend that you go give it a look, because it is going to make you feel more prepared calm and confident for your birthing experience. So one thing to consider if you're working full time, but also branching into doula work, is how to make it sustainable for you. Now, I do you know, some doulas who are working towards being full time and doula work, but until they are, they have just continued to be full or part time at their other employment. If that's the case for you then think about really emphasizing either things that are going to get you to the point of being more financially stable faster, or things that you can kind of scale and sell at a larger, larger like volume, right. So consider things like classes or postpartum hours or virtual services like things that do not require, you're being on call for one thing, especially if you work a job that you have to physically be present during certain hours. And also think about things that are a part of your business that you can easily kind of grow on the side, without it being you working two full time jobs, right. Part of this work that is unsustainable is if you work it in a way that actually makes you do a ton more work than any human being should do in any given week, right. But when you work for yourself, and you kind of set your own hours, then it's really easy to just give, give, give, give, give and not have really solid boundaries around sleep and things like that. So you really want to be cautious if you're doing this work on top of another job that you're not kind of over working yourself. Another thing to think about that some doulas do is to be a birth doula in a partnership, where you have certain times that you're on and the other doula has certain times they're on that can work well for having solid breaks or for having like days that you're like, off call write like that, that kind of takes away some of the unpredictability of the on call life as a doula and also allows you to share the burden of business with another doula or friend. So that's something to also consider. I do think things like teaching classes or having postpartum hours, those can be a much easier way to get started if you are working a full time job as well. I hope that was helpful. And I would love to hear what your questions are, so I can answer them for you on one of these awesome episodes. Until next time, I do wish you consent filled, well educated birth and postpartum times. So all of this information is intended to be educational and entertainment. Please use it as such. And if you have questions about your own medical health, or need recommendations from your own provider, please do speak to them. This is not intended to replace them in any way. We are so happy that you are here joining us in this walk through pregnancy postpartum and lactation. Please take a second to like and subscribe, leave a positive review. That is how other families get to hear about us and get to learn from all the answers that we have here on this podcast. As always, I would really love to connect with you. I love answering questions. I know that you know that because you are here, but I would love to hear what your questions are. So if I have not yet answered them on the podcast, I would love to add them to the list of questions to be answered. please do reach out to me on Instagram or via email Kaely at Herat, doula services.com so that I can answer whatever question you have, and so that I can hear the feedback that you have about the podcast. Until we meet again, I wish you well informed consent filled birth and postpartum experiences
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Doula Work, especially Birth Doula specifically, is an on-call job in most cases. That means it comes with a good deal of unpredictability. When someone is branching into this work as a part time venture or as a second career, it can be hard to do this work alongside another job that has specific hour requirements.
However, it is absolutely possible to be a doula and also work a part time or full time job elsewhere. In fact, I know many doulas who do that. In the coming weeks we’ll discuss various additional services a doula can have in their business in addition to serving clients as a doula. Those services often are less on-call and therefore easier to do when you have additional employment.
Key Takeaways:
It is possible to work full time in another job while being a doula, but there are some key factors that need to be considered
One big factor is how strict your work hours are and if there’s flexibility to get called to a birth
Another factor is what type of doula services you wish you to offer. Postpartum care, for instance, is easier to do on a predictable schedule.
Some birth doulas work in partnerships rather than as solo practice, so that makes it easier as well.
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