11/12/2025
What does being “on call” mean when you’re a doula?
When I’m on call for a client it means I literally have to be ready to go day or night as soon as I receive a call from my clients.
There are certain logistics I have to think about to make sure I can just leave when needed.
📞 My phone has to be on 24hours a day.
And it has to be on loud so I don’t miss a call.
⛽️ My car has to have enough fuel in it to get me to where my clients are and potentially to move locations. For instance, if my clients plan a home-birth and need to transfer to hospital, I need enough fuel to get me there.
🗓️ My home life logistics need to be in place so I can leave when needed. This sometimes means asking friends to help. (Thank you to for accommodating my daughter this weekend if I’m called out!)
☕️ Needing to cancel on friends last minute!
I try not to arrange too much when I am on call, but equally need a good balance of spending time with the people who are important to me 👭🏻
🧘🏻♀️ I always keep my yoga students in the loop for when I’m on call. This may mean me cancelling classes at short notice. I’m so appreciative that my yoga students understand and support me in this 🙏
🗺️ I need to be within 1hour of my clients place of birth for 4 weeks. This means two weeks before their due date to two weeks after.
💤 Ensuring I have enough rest is VERY important to the support I am able to offer my clients. A doula needs to be on their A Game at all times when supporting a birth.
We need to be able to think quickly, rationally and offer empathy, knowledge and solutions at the right time.
🧳 My doula bag needs to be packed and in my car.
My doula bag contains everything I need for myself while supporting my clients. Sometimes I could be away for a few hours and other time over 24hours.
A good stock of snacks and drinks is absolutely necessary! (Another post coming soon about what I carry in my doula bag…)
I am completely committed to my doula clients when I’m on call. If you would like to talk to me about supporting you and your birth partner through your journey, please get in touch.
Creating a support team is key to having a positive birth 🙌🏻
