Availability and Off Call Time
Many people hire a doula, in part, for continuity of care. As such, I strive to be available when you need me, whenever that may be. Being on call means that I don't go more than an hour out of town, I have my birth bag and a change of clothes in the car at all times, I wear my pager on my dressing gown, to the gym, to the beach, to concerts and movies (on vibrate!), etc. It means my chiropractor, my dentist, my friends and my family all know that I may cancel appointments at the very last minute. It means I usually turn down that extra glass of wine and try to be sensible about sleeping.
In an effort to achieve some work/life balance, I take one weekend off call every couple of months, in addition to two to three weeks of holiday time each year. This allows me to visit my daughter in Kingston, go to a conference, have a weekend getaway with my sweetie, or plan a party I know I'll actually be able to attend!
I book up to three clients each month. I generally try to space the due dates out a bit, but babies are extremely unpredictable. I am comfortable scheduling two women who are due on the same day, since only 5-6% of babies come on that day despite the best efforts of charts and modern technology to predict it. I will discuss my off call time with you at our first interview meeting, before you make a commitment. You can check my upcoming off call time at the bottom of this page to help you decide if you'd like to speak with me. A back up doula will be available when I am off call.
I'm able to be more flexible with postpartum availability, so give me a call to discuss what you're looking for.
