So You Want to Hire a Doula?!

Jun 1

Yay! Whether you’re sure you want a doula or still figuring out what kind of support you need, here’s exactly what the process looks like when we work together. No pressure, no guesswork.

Step 1: Let’s chat

Give me a call or schedule a time that works for you here. We’ll talk about what kind of support you’re looking for and when you might need it. I’ll share my availability, and if it feels like a good next step, we’ll set up a no-obligation Meet & Greet on Zoom (or FaceTime, if you prefer).

Step 2: Get to know each other

During our Meet & Greet, we’ll dig a little deeper into what you’re hoping for in a doula. Ask me anything! I’m happy to talk about my experience, how I work, and how I can support you and your family in different ways.

Step 3: Choose the right level of support

Once we’ve talked through your needs, we’ll figure out which type of support fits best. You don’t have to have this figured out ahead of time. That’s part of what I’m here to help with.

Step 4: Review and sign the agreement

If we both feel it’s a good fit, I’ll send over a clear, easy-to-read service agreement that lays out all the details of our work together.

Step 5: Pay the retainer

Once the agreement is signed, I’ll send an invoice for the retainer to save your spot on my calendar. I prefer Zelle to info@DoulaDeb.com, but I’m happy to talk about other options too.

I can’t wait to meet you and hear about your family. Wherever you are in this process, let’s figure out together what support would actually help. 💛

Warmly,
Doula Deb

Deb Jimenez

How to Figure Out How Much Postpartum Support You’ll Need

The Complete Doula Talk Podcast Guide: Find an Episode by Topic

There are more than 60 episodes of Doula Talk, and you don't have to listen in order. Find the season you're in, start there, and skip whatever doesn't apply right now. Some episodes show up in more than one section on purpose, because real life doesn't fit into neat categories.

Doula Talk Is Taking a Break (And Where to Start in the Archive)

I have an announcement, and before anyone worries: nothing dramatic is happening. I'm okay, my family is okay, and my business isn't going anywhere. I've just reached a point where I need to make some intentional decisions about where my time and energy go.

You've heard me say it on this show a hundred times: we do not have unlimited capacity, and we can't keep adding things and expect to magically find more hours in the day. Apparently I have to take my own advice occasionally. It's rude, but true.

So Doula Talk is going to take a rest. I don't know exactly when I'll be back, and I'm not putting that pressure on myself right now. I love this podcast. I love the conversations with incredible guests, and I love turning what I see families wrestle with every day into episodes that hopefully make someone feel a little less confused or alone. This isn't goodbye. It's a pause.

Building Confidence in Baby Sleep: How to Make Baby Sleep Decisions Without Spiraling

If you've spent any time Googling baby sleep at 2 a.m., you already know the problem isn't a lack of information. It's too much of it, and none of it agrees.

One account says feed your baby to sleep. Another says never feed your baby to sleep. Someone says contact naps are biologically normal and beautiful. Someone else says they're creating bad habits you'll regret. One expert says sleep train immediately, and another makes it sound like a few minutes of fussing will require years of therapy.

Meanwhile, you're holding your phone six inches from your face at 2:14 a.m., praying your baby doesn't wake up again, wondering: Is my baby broken? Did I create this? Am I ruining sleep forever?

Here's what I want you to hear first: you're probably not doing nearly as badly as you think. Most of the exhausted, overwhelmed parents I work with haven't caused their baby's sleep challenges. They're just trying to make sense of conflicting information while caring for a baby who keeps changing on them.

Regulation Over Routines: Why Your Baby Doesn’t Need a Perfect Schedule

A mom told me recently that she spent three hours trying to decide between a two-hour-and-fifteen-minute wake window and a two-hour-and-thirty-minute one. By the end of the day, she was crying in the nursery because she couldn't tell if she was making everything worse.

That story broke my heart, not because she was doing anything wrong, but because she'd reached a point so many parents reach. She wasn't asking for a schedule anymore. She wanted someone to tell her she wasn't failing.

If that's you right now, I want you to hear this: after almost twenty years of supporting families, here's what I know. A schedule can support sleep. A schedule cannot create it, and you cannot force your baby to sleep. Before we ever talk about routines, we have to talk about regulation. That's the foundation everything else sits on.

Why Families Wait Too Long to Ask for Help (And What Support Actually Looks Like)

There’s something I hear from parents all the time: “I probably should have reached out sooner.”

Usually, they say it after we’ve spent some time talking through what’s happening with their baby. Maybe sleep has suddenly fallen apart. Maybe feeding feels confusing. Maybe they’re preparing to return to work. Or maybe nothing is terribly wrong, but every day feels harder than it needs to.

And almost every time, I tell them the same thing: I’m just glad you’re here now.

Because somewhere along the way, we created this idea that parents should be able to figure everything out on their own.

But you don’t have to be drowning before you deserve a life jacket.

Timing Is Everything: Why Your Baby Isn’t Fighting Sleep (Usually)

You’ve changed the diaper. Your baby has been fed. The room is dark. The sound machine is on. You’ve rocked, bounced, walked, shushed, and probably questioned every decision you’ve made since breakfast.

Your baby looks exhausted.

But they. Will. Not. Sleep.

If this sounds familiar, you may have found yourself Googling “Why is my baby fighting sleep?” while simultaneously trying to convince a very unhappy baby that sleep is, in fact, a wonderful thing.

But here’s something I want more parents to know:

Your baby probably isn’t fighting sleep. They’re communicating something.

And figuring out what they’re communicating can be much more helpful than immediately changing your entire routine or assuming you need sleep training.

Learning to See Yourself Differently: Pregnancy, Body Image, and the Sacred Transition into Motherhood (Guest: Caroline White)

Pregnancy has a way of changing everything.

Yes, your body changes. Your routines change. Your relationships shift. But perhaps the biggest transformation isn’t one you can see from the outside at all.

You’re becoming a mother.

That transition is beautiful, exciting, overwhelming, and sometimes surprisingly complicated. Many parents tell me they expected the physical changes of pregnancy, but they didn’t expect how much their relationship with their own body would change along the way.

On a recent podcast episode, I had the privilege of speaking with underwater maternity photographer Caroline White about the deeper meaning behind her incredible work. What started as a conversation about maternity photography quickly became something much bigger: a discussion about body image, self-compassion, and learning to honor the incredible work our bodies are doing.

It’s a conversation I think every expecting parent deserves to hear.

So You Want to Hire a Doula?!

Step 1: Let’s chat

Step 2: Get to know each other

Step 3: Choose the right level of support

Step 4: Review and sign the agreement

Step 5: Pay the retainer

Doula Deb LLC

Resource Links

Let’s be friends!

Catch up on the Blog!

So You Want to Hire a Doula?!

Step 1: Let’s chat

Step 2: Get to know each other

Step 3: Choose the right level of support

Step 4: Review and sign the agreement

Step 5: Pay the retainer

How to Figure Out How Much Postpartum Support You’ll Need

Postpartum Anxiety: The Second Cousin Nobody Talks About

Doula Deb LLC

Resource Links

Let’s be friends!

Catch up on the Blog!