I have confirmation that I have passed my Bebo Mia postpartum coursework, and am now a Maternal Support Practitioner. I am feeling very optimistic and can now confidently brand myself with my credentials.

I'd like to run this question by the community since I have reached the point in my business where I consistently need a back-up, or possibly more than one, in order to accept more birth clients. Just a little bit of context for you: birth attendance work in Italy is very very rare, Italian mothers are not familiar with the work of doulas and many hospitals simply do not allow us in. Only a handful of us actually have birth attendance experience, most doulas here are postpartum doulas. Over the years, I've actually managed to kind of break through this barrier, especially since I work with international clients who sometimes opt for homebirths, and when they don't, hospitals do find my presence useful to overcome the language barrier. So (knock on wood) this seems to be working and I am now receiving more requests than I can manage on my own. The thing is, I am finding it very very challenging to find one or more reliable back-ups. Since birth attendance is much more common in the US, I'd like to ask for your guidance and advice. For those of you who work with back-ups, did you go through a selection process with them, a sort of interview perhaps? If so, would you be willing to share what that was like and if there are any questions you'd absolutely ask a potential work partner? How do you manage contracts and payments? Are there any further insights you'd share with me on this matter? Thank you so much in advance, I am looking forward to reading what you all will have to say re this. 🙏

My name is Ansley, and I have been a full-spectrum doula since 2018. I recently took a few months off to reset and refocus, and I'm excited to be stepping back into this work that I truly love. One of my biggest passions is education and breastfeeding support. I love helping mothers feel prepared and confident for birth by providing information, guidance, and support so they can understand their options and make informed decisions throughout their journey. While we can't control every aspect of birth, I believe preparation and education can make a tremendous difference in how a family experiences it. I genuinely enjoy connecting with moms, listening to their stories, supporting them through challenges, and celebrating the incredible experience of bringing new life into the world. There is nothing more rewarding to me than helping families feel empowered during such a special time. I'm excited to be part of this sisterhood, learn from other doulas, and see the different ways everyone runs their programs and supports their communities. I look forward to connecting with all of you and growing together.