DoulaMatch.net has great doula referrals

One of the best resources I know of for referrals to doulas across North America is the Web site DoulaMatch.net created by Kim James, who explains the service below.  (For further information on finding a doula, including community doulas available at no charge to low-income mothers, doulas outside North America, and how to interview a doula, see chapter 5, "Find Your Doula!" in my book The Doula Guide to Birth.)

DoulaMatch.net is a nationwide resource for expecting parents to quickly and efficiently find available doulas who match the parents’ criteria for the perfect service and personality match.  

Parents can search the Web site by entering their due date and location to find a birth or postpartum doula.

The number one question doulas ask us is:  Why do search results come up by order of availability?  Why not location or alphabetical order? 

The answer is at the heart of why DoulaMatch.net exists:  if the doula isn’t available, all her other credentials and criteria are moot.

A few fun facts about DoulaMatch.net:

• 5,160 – Number of doulas on DoulaMatch.net.  All 50 US states and 8 Canadian provinces are represented.
• 25,000 – Average number of visits to DoulaMatch.net every month.
• 2,500 – Average number of client inquiries every month (via email inquiries or direct click throughs to a doula’s website).
• 6,517 – The number of client testimonials on DoulaMatch.net
• 24 – The number of doula certifying organizations represented on DoulaMatch.net

What kinds of information can a client find out about a doula?

• The doula’s availability for the client’s due date
• Contact information
• The number of clients the doula takes every month
• Number of years in practice and number of births attended or families served
• Geographic area served
• Languages spoken
• Actual .jpg images of the doula’s certification certificates for verified certified status
• Level of education
• Special services available
• Fees
• Previous client testimonials about their experience working with this doula

 This is a typical inquiry email from a potential client searching for a doula on DoulaMatch.net:

“I am still undecided and want to learn more about having a doula at my birth (due Jan 31, 2013) but you have so many wonderful reviews that I think you would be the perfect person to talk to.  We live in _____ and plan on delivering at ________.  I'd love to talk with you!”

Doulas interested in creating profiles and availability calendars, and families wanting more information on finding doulas available for their due dates, can easily find instructions here:  http://doulamatch.net/.