Two Years Ago We Birthed Our Baby.
Two years ago today, working separately as solo doulas, we provided tag-team labor and birth support for a client whose original doula had to leave town due to an emergency. Solo doulas often provide backup support for their colleagues when they are unable to be there. We were happy to assist a family-—and a fellow doula—in need.
And yet…
It’s not ideal for birthing people to meet their doula for the first time while they’re in labor—to wonder who is going to walk through the door of their birthing room, who is going to be with them in their most intimate, vulnerable time, instead of the doula they know and hired. As solo doulas, we are often on call 365 days a year. We are often present at births for 24+ hours. These realities are hard to sustain, and they can lead to doula burnout.
Up to that day, we had been working as solo doulas for several years. Tag-teaming this birth opened our eyes to the possibility of partnering and offering clients the best of both of us. The couple we assisted had a satisfying, fluid experience from start to finish; thus our conversation about creating a doula partnership began. Meeting over coffee and kombucha, we shared our philosophies and visions for the future. After a few more deep discussions, we made a proposal and Two Doulas & You became reality!
Since then, our initial foray has blossomed into a full-service birth, postpartum and parenting support organization that we are passionate about and proud of—and it’s sustainable for everyone! Our innovative partnership model ensures our clients have consistent, continuous, evidence-based support from the moment they hire us, without worry of who will attend their birth or assist in the tender postpartum return. And because we share the workload, we can better meet their day-to-day scheduling needs.
Thank you, S. and E.! We are forever grateful to you for allowing us to enter your sacred birthing space—and for being the catalyst that helped birth Two Doulas & You!