Why Backup Matters: What You Need to Know About Doula Support
When you hire a doula, you’re investing in continuous, personalized support for one of the biggest days of your life. But here’s the truth that isn’t always talked about: there is never a 100% guarantee that your primary doula will be at your birth.
Life happens. Your doula could get sick. She might be called away unexpectedly for a family emergency. Babies don’t wait for perfect timing—and neither does life.
So the real question becomes: If your doula can’t make it, who will be at your birth?
Unfortunately, not all doulas are upfront about their backup process. You might hear something like, “I’ll reserve a backup for you,”—but who exactly is that? What experience do they have? Do they share the same philosophy of care? Too often, families don’t find out until the last minute, when the backup is whoever is available rather than someone carefully chosen.
That matters. Because you’re not just hiring “a doula”—you’re hiring your doula, with her specific skills, experience, and presence. For example, if you’re planning a VBAC, a waterbirth, or hoping to use Hypnobirthing techniques, you should expect that anyone who might walk into your birth space has the same experience and training to meet your needs.
Here’s what you deserve when it comes to backups:
Transparency: You should know exactly who your backup doula could be—not just “someone.”
Experience Alignment: Backups should have equivalent training and experience to the doula you hired.
Continuity of Care: Backups should be introduced to you ahead of time, so they aren’t strangers if they walk in on your birth day.
Respect for Your Investment: You’ve put time, money, and trust into your doula support. You deserve clarity about what that includes.
At the Cincinnati Doula Network, our goal is to remove the guesswork. We believe families should never “take it as it comes” when it comes to birth support. Instead, you deserve to know exactly who might walk beside you on your birth day—and to trust that, no matter what, you’ll be supported by a qualified, experienced doula who honors your birth preferences.
Because birth is too important for anything less.
