If you're planning on hiring a doula for your birth, in addition to typical doula interview questions, it's also important for you to ask how they are reducing their risks (and thus, yours) of COVID. 

Many doulas are going above and beyond to help their clients feel safe and to continue providing the much-needed continuous professional support in labor and birth. Louisville, KY, based Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and doula Angela Garvin says, "I build trust with clients by getting tested in the weeks before their due date and by doing more quarantining than usual. The trust between myself and my client, especially concerning COVID safety, has been critical."

COVID Safety Questions to Ask Your Doula

• What measures do you follow to reduce your exposure/risk of COVID? 
• Have you had the COVID-19 vaccine?
• What do you do leading up to my due date period to further reduce your risk of COVID?  
• Are you willing to wear a mask for the entirety of my labor, birth, and early postpartum - ie, the entire time you're with me, my partner, my baby, whether we're at home, birth center, or hospital? 
• How often do you test for COVID? 
• Will you test for COVID prior to my labor/birth?
• In the event you or I test positive for COVID around/at the time of my labor/birth, how will you provide labor/birth support? 
• Can you give me examples of what virtual labor support is like? 
• In the event you test positive for COVID around/at the time of my labor/birth, do you have a back-up doula available? Do they follow the same COVID protocols? Can I meet this doula(s) before labor? 

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