Send us Fan Mail What does being on call as a birth doula actually mean? Do you have to stay home for five weeks waiting for your phone to ring? What happens if you have kids, pets, a wedding to attend, therapy, a massage booked, or just... a life? Being on call can feel like one of the most intimidating parts of becoming a birth doula, but once you have good systems in place, it really does become a normal part of your life. In this episode of Hot + Brave, Bianca shares what she learned from almost 20 years of living the on-call doula life, including the basic rules she followed, how to arrange childcare and pet care, using backups, shared-care models, and what to do when you have an important event during your client's on-call window. We're also talking about something doulas don't hear enough: you are allowed to keep living your life while you're on call. Being committed to your clients doesn't mean missing every wedding, recital, concert, anniversary or important moment for the rest of your doula career. That's why we have backup doulas and why communicating expectations with clients from the beginning matters. In this episode: • The basic rules of being on call as a birth doula • How close you need to stay to your clients • Staying sober and prioritizing sleep while on call • Using Emergency Bypass so you don't miss a client's call • What to do when you need your phone off for therapy, appointments or important events • Creating childcare AND backup childcare plans • Planning pet care for unpredictable births • How a shared-care doula model can make on-call life more accessible • Why every birth doula needs a backup • Taking planned time off during an on-call window • How and when to tell clients your backup will be primary • What to put in your doula contract about backup care • Whether you should swap back into a birth after your backup arrives • Why you need to PAY YOUR BACKUP • How to have a life outside of doula work without letting your clients down Bianca also shares a script you can use when reminding a client that your backup doula will be primary during a planned period of time, plus tips for making that transition feel easy and expected for everyone. And if you're listening to all of this thinking, absolutely not, I never want a 2 a.m. call telling me to put my pants on and drive to a hospital, that's okay too. Birth support isn't the only way to be a doula. Fertility support, postpartum work and childbirth education can all allow you to do meaningful care work without being on call. Ready to become a doula? Our next full-spectrum Maternal Support Practitioner training starts September 17th. If you want a self-study option, you can also save $200 on our Birth Doula Certification with the code FIRST200, bringing the training to just $479. And if you're trying to figure out whether doula work fits into your actual life, you can book a free career strategy call with Bianca. 👉 👉 👉 Book at call with Bianca here. ⭐️ We have some links for you which you will LOVE! ⭐️ Grab your doula training spot here (heyyy there's payment plans) 📚 USE CODE SUMMER10 for 10% off Scholarships: APPLY HERE (opens in September for March session) BIRTH DOULA COURSE - www.bebomia.com/birthdoula use the code FIRST200 for $200 off! Community Building Tool ONLY $10 - www.bebomia.com/community-building FREE Ultimate Ebook all about becoming a doula - get it here! www.bebomia.com/freewebinar Free doula workshop and discount code 👍🏽 bebomia.com/bizshop/ 😎 Grow your business fast! www.bebomia.com/shop New Doula swag!! 7 Simple Steps to Double your Client Base 👈🏽 new course alert this week 💥 Use code SEVEN Support the show www.bebomia.com Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn or Twitter.
