For doulas stuck in prep mode instead of client mode
Quick Hits:
- Procrastination often wears a productive disguise
- Perfectionism, fear, and fog are the real blocks
- You don’t need to be ready, just present
- Small wins fuel momentum
- You don’t need more prep. You need practice
The Truth About Doula Procrastination
Let’s cut to it.
You built the website, ordered the cards, color-coded the intake form. You’re “open for business”… but secretly relieved no one’s called yet.
You’re not lazy. You’re working.
But the kind of work you’re doing?
It’s not getting you hired.
It’s busy work dressed up as prep.
And it’s keeping you stuck.
This is way more common than most doulas admit.
You’re “doing the thing” but quietly dodging the moment someone actually books you.
Here’s the real talk: Another Canva graphic won’t get you hired. A conversation will.
What You’re Really Avoiding
Behind all that tweaking and tinkering, there’s usually something deeper.
1. Fear of Judgment or Rejection
Putting yourself out there feels risky.
What if they say no? What if they ask something you can’t answer?
Here’s the truth: They’re not looking for a perfect doula.
They want someone real, kind, and confident enough to say,
“I’d love to support you.”
2. Perfectionism in Disguise
You say, “Once I finish this course…” or “Once my logo is perfect…”
But birth work isn’t mastered through theory. It’s lived. It’s felt.
Think of it like birth itself.
You can’t study your way into knowing.
You show up. You breathe. You learn as you go.
3. Lack of a Clear Next Step
Sometimes it’s not fear. It’s fog.
You don’t know what to do next, so you default to what feels familiar.
Scroll Instagram. Tweak the website. Refresh your email.
But clarity doesn’t come from thinking.
It comes from doing.
What to Do Instead
Small Shifts That Change Everything
Talk to Someone Today
Text a friend who’s pregnant.
DM someone from a local parent group.
Comment “congrats” on a baby post and offer a free consult.
One real conversation is worth 100 untouched business cards.
Choose Progress Over Perfect
That awkward consult? That follower who ghosted you?
Still part of the process.
You don’t need flawless. You need forward.
Set a Time-Limited Goal
Give yourself 45 minutes.
Do one thing that could get you a client.
Follow up. Reach out. Ask for a review.
This is the work that moves the needle.
A Loving Reminder
You can’t build a doula practice in your head.
Not on paper. Not in Canva.
You build it through connection.
One person at a time.
So if you’ve been whispering, “I’m a doula”
but hoping no one actually calls?
It’s time to check the resistance.
And take the smallest brave step toward a yes.
You’ve got this.
Want help making the shift from prep mode to client mode?
Join Doula Office Hours—my weekly support and strategy sessions where we actually do the work together.
Come with questions. Leave with momentum.
