Art by Amanda Greavette
Words by Letty Jeffreys
What is Shared Care?
Shared Care is when you have more than one Doula supporting you at any point during pregnancy, birth, or postnatally. Generally, it will be two (or sometimes more) doulas working together as a team to ensure that you are fully supported whenever you might need them, whether that’s over WhatsApp answering questions as they pop up, on audio or video call, or face to face.
Why might Shared Care be suggested by a Doula?
When you enquire with an individual Doula or The Cambridge Doula Collective, it might be suggested that you consider hiring more than one Doula on a shared care basis (usually two). This could be for several reasons, but for Birth Doulas most often it is because the Doula cannot guarantee availability for the entire on-call period (usually 38 weeks – 42weeks). The Doula may have another client whose on-call period overlaps with yours, or another commitment in the diary. It might be that school holidays limit the Doula’s availability due to her family logistics. Sometimes, it is the client that requests shared care, rather than hiring one solo Doula. Whatever the reason, Shared Care is a really positive thing and our extensive feedback tells us that our clients love to have a dedicated
doula team, feel very well supported and enjoy this setup. For postnatal support, it might be suggested that you have more than one Doula supporting you due to the hours you have requested, for example, if you would like lots of hours per week, night shifts or an extended support period.
What’s good about Shared Care?
Shared care is brilliant because it provides reassurance that if anything should happen which meant that one Doula wasn’t available to support you, you’d still have another trusted Doula who knows you well, ready to jump in andhelp. Some clients don’t feel the need for this and are happy with just one Doula, but others may prefer to have that extra layer of support and
a safety net just in case.
How does it work?
All Doulas work slightly differently, but generally, you would meet both Doulas before confirming your booking to make sure you are happy and comfortable with the arrangement.
For a pregnancy/birth support package, both Doulas usually attend all the antenatal sessions so that you get a good opportunity to get to know them both and they get the chance to get to know you, your wishes, your concerns, your history and any other useful information to support you in the best way possible. When you go into labour, one Doula will come and be with you throughout. Sometimes, if the labour is particularly long or the Doula has
been with you a long time, the other Doula will swap in so that you always have a fresh and well-rested support person! Once your baby has arrived, the Doula will stay with you for a good amount of time to help with feeding support or anything else you might need and then you will have a postnatal visit within the first couple of weeks. Sometimes both Doulas come to this and sometimes it is just the Doula who was present at your labour and birth. For a postnatal package usually you would have a visit from one Doula at a time, which can be particularly helpful if you are looking for quite a few hours per week. Another benefit of this option is that if one of the Doulas cannot attend a session due to, for example, being called out to a birth, then the other Doula may be able to step in and cover that session. Similarly to the birth package, you would have a good opportunity to get to know both Doulas
and vice versa.
Do I have to pay twice the amount?
Often clients assume that having two Doulas will be twice the price, but this is certainly not the case! Each Doula and/or shared care team will charge slightly differently; generally, the cost is a little higher than having one Doula working solo, but definitely not double!
Will I have any choice over who supports me?
When working with two birth Doulas, we usually say that availability may limit you from having a choice over who comes on the day, as we never know when babies are going to come! However, if both Doulas happen to be available when you are ready for some support, you can let your preferred Doula know that you would like them to come. We work in Shared Care partnerships all the time and there is absolutely no ego involved at all - so please don’t feel impolite in letting your team know who you would prefer. If you love both of your Doulas and you can’t decide, you may have to toss a coin! (You wouldn’t be the first!)
How can I look into shared care options?
If you are looking for a birth or postnatal Doula and are interested in Shared Care, please enquire via our contact form and we will be happy to help you find a great team.
Alternatively, you can always enquire with an individual Doula and ask them if they would like to work on a Shared Care basis.
Overall, having a Shared Care Doula team can be absolutely wonderful and it is never a
second-best option! We love working in Shared Care with clients and we would love to help you too. To get in touch, please click here.
There is more of Amanda's beautiful artwork and her ongoing project here:
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