Starting your journey as a doula is exciting, but finding your first clients can feel daunting, exhausting and overwhelming. The good news? There are proven strategies that successful doulas use to connect with families who need their support. Here are the top five best ways to book your first doula clients:

This is by far my favorite and I believe this was the foundation of Chicago Family Doulas. Word of mouth is powerful, especially in birth and postpartum work. This space is smaller than you would think!

Build strong relationships with local childbirth educators, lactation consultants, chiropractors, pediatricians, midwives, and OB/GYN offices. Bring them professional marketing materials such as rack cards and trifold become a resource for their patients and refer to them. Building relationships with other perinatal professionals can quickly lead to referrals and should always be reciprocal otherwise they won’t last.

Families often turn to the internet when searching for support. Build a professional website that highlights who you are, what you offer, and how your will support families. After building a website, create an Instagram account, Facebook page, and possibly even a TikTok. Speak directly to your target audience. Showcase what appeals to them. This can include pregnancy, birth and baby tips, testimonials, and educational content. This can also be fun videos and images that your audience connects with. Thinking about local SEO (like listing your services on Google My Business) can also help families in your area find you easily.

Many cities have doula agencies or hospital-based programs looking for doulas to support families. These organizations often have an established client base and can help match you with families who need immediate support. It’s a great way to gain experience, build your confidence, have a community and learn from a broader team of birth and postpartum professionals.

While you want to be paid for your valuable work as soon as possible, offering a limited number of reduced-rate births and postpartum packages can help you build confidence, gain hands-on experience, and collect glowing testimonials and referrals. These early reviews and referrals are gold when marketing yourself to future clients and can set the tone for a thriving practice.

Vendor fairs, baby expos, childbirth education classes, and community health events are perfect opportunities to meet expecting families face-to-face. If possible sponsor a table, bring marketing materials, a friendly smile, and be ready to answer questions about what doula support looks like. Sometimes a genuine, in-person connection is all a family needs to choose you as their doula.

Building a successful doula practice doesn’t happen overnight, but with authenticity, persistence, and genuine marketing, your first clients will come and they’ll often lead to many more through referrals and word of mouth. Believe in your impact: families are looking for exactly the kind of support you have to offer.