My heart is full :O)

cali4niachef · 03-27-2010, 01:18 AM

I feel incredibly blessed. I have clients booked every month until November. It fills my soul with SUCH joy it makes me well up with tears.

I got an email from someone going to the local BC looking for a doula. I went there too for my last birth. We corresponded back and forth via email. We haven't met yet. Its her 2nd baby. She lives about 45mins south of me, about 2hrs from the BC. We couldnt find the time to meet until the end of April when I will be at the holistic health fair as a vendor. I mailed her my forms, brochures, etc. I figured we would talk about it end of april when we met and have a brief consultation. She emailed me tonight and said everything looks great and she is sending me the deposit monday!!! I'm just amazed!!!!

I'm elated! I have a consult tomorrow for someone due end of may at the same BC. I'll be up her way doing an encapsulation so it works out well that we could meet.

Though there's a dilemma....but its good. I'm doing birth photography and encapsulation for a woman end of may. I have one doula client due beginning of may. I have TWO potential doula clients for end of may/early June. One that I'm having the consult with tomorrow is due end of may. I will have a consult with the lady due 1st week of june next week. End of may going to the BC, june going to the hosp. Both are an hour away.

Obviously I cant take them both on they are both delivering an hour away. So if they both want to hire me I dont know what to do. I have to choose the one I "click with" or feel being led that I should be at her birth. I did tell the mom that is due 6/7, G3, 2nd birth precip. That since im an hour south she may want to also have a consult with another doula local to her. Which she did and she liked her but she's really drawn to me. If I did take the mom due in June I would use the doula I referred her to as my back up in event of another precipitous birth.

My heart is filled with joy I that I have women and babies to serve

dynamicdoula · 03-27-2010, 12:25 PM

I live in a county where it's really normal for me to be at the end of the county and have someone go into labor an hour south, etc. If you communicated the situation to both women, couldn't you just take them both on? It says in my contract I need 2 hours to get to a client which I don't think I've ever used in 7 years, lol, but at least it's built in and I have it. Every client has understood that I might be with another client, or with family, or need to get my kids to a sitter, etc. in that time.

Trust yourself, you'll choose correctly! Externally, it looks like you could take both, to me, anyway.

cali4niachef · 03-27-2010, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dynamicdoula

I live in a county where it's really normal for me to be at the end of the county and have someone go into labor an hour south, etc. If you communicated the situation to both women, couldn't you just take them both on? It says in my contract I need 2 hours to get to a client which I don't think I've ever used in 7 years, lol, but at least it's built in and I have it. Every client has understood that I might be with another client, or with family, or need to get my kids to a sitter, etc. in that time.

Trust yourself, you'll choose correctly! Externally, it looks like you could take both, to me, anyway.

Man I'd love to take both. But with 2 women with the EDD of end of may and one the first week of June....my luck they will all go at once. But I can always use a back up doula in that event.

cali4niachef · 03-28-2010, 06:40 PM

So I met with a woman yesterday going to the BC and it went really well. She talked about how she wanted to do a payment plan, etc. I was totally fine with that.
Then today she says she wont be able to afford my services because she has to save for maternity leave and diapers, plus bills to pay. I told her I was willing to work out an extended payment plan, that didnt work. I asked if she or her husband had a skill to barter. He's a mechanic, that worked great for me because I need some routine maintance....but wait he doesnt like to "trade labor".

Ok forget that. I asked her what she could afford, no response.

I told her if she needed help finding a newer doula I could assist her in finding one that might be able to attend her birth for free or a nominal fee. Even with that she said "Thanks I will let you know how the next few weeks go." She's concerned about the BC risking her out b/c her blood sugar has been a tad high.

Im glad I didnt cancel my consult for Tuesday with a woman with an EDD 1wk after hers!

If she had valued the services I'm sure she would've found a way to make it work. Either way Im done trying to help her have a doula.

I thought I would have to find a way to juggle them both but now I wont have to worry about that.

Though I'd rather go to a birth center, I believe I will be at the births I'm meant to be at for whatever reason God has me there