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Writer's pictureArielle & Ashley

The Agency Advantage

The doula agency concept is still relatively new. For years, doulas and their businesses have been one in the same, with the doula operating entirely on her own. If the doula is sick or out of town, the business shuts down. This was how we ran our businesses as well until we learned about the agency model and how it works. Why? Because it just makes sense – for the doulas and the clients and we decided that the city of Nashville needed an agency too, so Music City Doulas was born.

What makes working with an agency so advantageous?

  1. Consistent Communication – Contacting an agency means you are always going to get a fast reply. For non-urgent matters, we can be reached by phone or email Monday through Friday 9am to 7pm. You will always hear from us within 24 business hours. When you have contracted with an agency, you have the contact information of your doulas, but also the agency, so your needs are always taken care of swiftly.

  2. Doula Matchmaking Bliss – Instead of having to search for and interview a long list of doulas in the area, our home team will speak with you on the phone to screen your personality, wants, and desires and pair you with the perfect team that best fits your individual needs. This saves you on the time it would take to meet loads of different people and explain over and over what your birth philosophy is and what you desire for your birth experience. We discover your needs over the phone and relay that information to your doulas so that all you have to focus on is getting to know them and beginning to envision them at your birth.

  3. Standardized Training – All of our doulas are uniformly trained under the same organization, who uses a standardized curriculum. This means for you that there are no variances or inconsistencies in the care you will receive. Our doulas are all experts in speaking to different personality types, which makes her a great asset, as she is able to facilitate effective communication with your entire birth team. The training she has received stresses non-judgmental support, meaning she supports you in all of your birth choices, even if you change your mind.

  4. Built-in Back-Up – All of our labor doulas come in teams of two, so you never have to worry about an unknown back-up doula attending your birth because your doula is already at a birth or sick. You get two from the beginning and get to know both of them throughout your pregnancy. After you have had the baby and you need assistance at home from a postpartum doula, if the doula you have been working with has to attend a birth, that doesn’t mean that you don’t get taken care of. With the agency, another doula will pick up where the last one left off, making sure your needs are always covered.

  5. Continuity of Care – With the agency, we have systems in place for continuity of care. When your doula communicates with you, she updates your file, only accessible by the home office and the doulas working directly with you, that way the next doula that works with you knows where she left off. This ensures you are never receiving conflicting information or needing to re-explain things you have already told your other doula. Any doula that works with you will know your expectations, goals, progress, etc.

  6. Chain of Command – We hope that you never have any issues, but if you were to, the home office is there to resolve it. There is a process in place to ensure you are always well taken care of.

  7. Fresh and Happy Doulas – Working with an agency is easier on the doulas. Being on a team means the doulas get to take turns being on-call and take time off, without disrupting the business. This prevents burnout, which is shockingly 2-3 years for a doula. Our doulas get to do what they love, without the stress of being the sole doula for their client and needing to scramble to find a replacement doula if they have a conflict.

  8. Mentorship and Continuing Education – At the agency, we meet monthly with the entire doula team for team building, skill building, and continuing education. We take this time to fine-tune our doulas and the doulas have constant mentorship from both of the agency owners.

As you can see, the agency model just makes sense for everyone involved. The doulas and the clients are always very well taken care of and systems are in place to ensure no stone is left unturned. At Music City Doulas, we are your one-stop shop for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

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