When It Feels Quiet: A Letter to the Doulas Who Are Waiting

We’ve been hearing from doulas all around the country that things have gone quiet lately. Enquiries have slowed down, phones aren’t ringing as often, and if you’ve just completed your training, you might be wondering if this is what it’s really like to get started. It can feel disheartening, especially when you’ve put so much energy and love into preparing for this work. You’re ready to support, ready to show up, and it feels like no one is calling.

It’s hard. Really hard. Because this work isn’t just a job, it’s a calling. We don’t step into this profession for status or salary. We’re here because we believe in women, in families, in the transformative power of birth and those early postnatal days. When that calling feels like it’s not calling back, it shakes you.

If that’s where you are right now, I want you to know: you are not alone. And you are not doing anything wrong. I’m writing this for you. To help you understand what might be happening, to offer practical things you can do, and most importantly, to remind you of your worth.

Because this quiet season? It won’t last forever.

Let’s look at why things might be quiet right now and what you can do while you wait for the tide to turn.

Why Things Might Be Quiet Right Now

When you’re staring at a blank diary and wondering whether to renew your Zoom subscription or cancel your domain name, it’s easy to think the problem must be you. But more often than not, it’s not about individual skill, visibility, or effort; it’s about bigger shifts that are affecting us all.

Here are a few possible reasons doulas may be experiencing a lull in enquiries right now:

1. Cost of Living Crisis

Families across the UK are feeling the squeeze. With inflation, energy bills, and food prices rising over the past couple of years, many are having to prioritise essential spending. For some, that sadly means cutting out support that isn’t seen as 'urgent', even though we know doula care can make a huge difference to birth outcomes and postnatal emotional wellbeing.

This doesn’t mean families don’t want doulas. It just means they may be hesitant or unsure if they can justify the cost, especially if they don’t understand the full value of the support. It’s not about you. It’s the times we’re living in.

We know that financial pressure can make this quiet spell even more stressful. If you’re trying to make ends meet while building your doula work, please know you’re not alone in that either.

2. Reduced Visibility

Some doulas have noticed a drop in enquiries lately, and it can be hard to pinpoint exactly why. Sometimes changes behind the scenes,  shifts in how people search for support or how they find us online, can quietly impact how visible we are to the families who need us.

It’s not always easy to talk about this, but it’s worth naming gently. If something that once brought a steady stream of enquiries no longer seems to be working, it can feel confusing and destabilising.

This is why building your own presence, whether through a personal website, local partnerships, social media, or word of mouth in your community, can offer a sense of steadiness and autonomy over time.

3. Summer Slowdown

Historically, July and August tend to be quieter months in the birth world. With people on holiday, kids off school, and routine thrown out the window, many families delay making decisions or booking support. It’s not always the case, but it does follow a pattern.

The challenge is that when you’re already feeling vulnerable, seasonal slowness can feel like confirmation of failure. But if you look at your own patterns over the years, you might notice this ebb and flow repeats itself, and always picks up again.

4. Freelance Fatigue – Not Just Doulas

It’s not just doulas feeling this shift. Freelancers in many sectors, writers, designers, therapists, and coaches, are reporting fewer enquiries, lower engagement, and rising self-doubt. Many say their schedules suddenly emptied, and they found themselves questioning their work and whether to continue.

This broader trend suggests it’s not about individual incompetence. It’s about economic cycles, algorithm shifts, and a change in how people find and engage with services. Sometimes it’s tech. Sometimes it’s trends. Sometimes it’s just timing.

Staying Grounded and Productive in the Quiet Times

When things go quiet, it’s tempting to panic. To spiral. To imagine you’ll never get another client again, and maybe you’re not cut out for this after all. But let me say this clearly, a quiet spell does not mean you’re failing. It just means you’re in one of the natural dips that come with being self-employed.

So instead of catastrophising, let’s talk about how you can use this time to refocus, recharge, and gently tend to both yourself and your doula work.

Check Your Perspective

When self-doubt creeps in, it can be hard to tell the difference between a dip in bookings and a personal failing. But the two are not the same. If you need a little reminder, take out some of your past client feedback and read through it slowly. Remember the thank you cards, the WhatsApp voice notes, the mum who said, "You were the reason I got through it".

Keep a screenshot folder or a scrapbook if it helps. You’re not imagining your impact; you’ve lived it. The quiet time doesn’t take that away.

Nourish Your Nervous System

As doulas, we talk a lot about regulating the nervous system, especially in birth prep. But how often do we apply that same wisdom to ourselves?

Use this time to get outside each day, even if just for a walk or a sit in the garden. Do some gentle movement, breathwork, or meditation if that feels good. Eat well. Drink water. Sleep. It’s all foundational, and it’s much harder to do when you’re rushing between clients. So, take advantage while you can.

You are your most important doula client right now.

Use the Time for Business Tending

Quiet spells are a great time to get on top of the things that are usually pushed to the bottom of the list. That could mean:

• Updating your website and checking your SEO

• Updating your doulaography on all doula listing websites

• Writing some helpful Instagram posts and scheduling them ahead

• Asking previous clients for testimonials

• Tweaking your service offerings or pricing structure

• Organising your finances and budgeting for the next few months

Think of it as spring cleaning your business. These little tweaks now will make it easier for new clients to find and trust you when they’re ready to book.

Create Rather Than Compare

Scrolling social media can be the worst thing to do during a quiet time. It’s easy to think everyone else is fully booked and thriving. But social media is a highlight reel, not a balance sheet.

Instead of scrolling, try creating something: a blog post, a local flyer, a list of affirmations for new parents, a freebie for your website visitors. Creating brings you back into a sense of possibility. Comparing shuts that down.

Set a Tiny Goal Each Day

If it’s all feeling overwhelming, bring it right down. One small task per day. That’s all. Just enough to keep your hand in and remind yourself that you’re still moving forward, even slowly.

For example:

• Monday: Post one thing on Instagram

• Tuesday: Reconnect with a past client

• Wednesday: Research one local networking event

• Thursday: Review your service descriptions

• Friday: Reach out to another doula for a coffee

You don’t have to build a whole business plan this week. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Connection, Community, and Letting Yourself Be Seen

When work slows down, one of the most damaging things we can do is withdraw. It’s such a natural response, isn’t it? You feel a bit ashamed, a bit lost, a bit unsure, so you pull back. You stop posting. You stop reaching out. You stop showing up in the groups where you used to feel at home.

But the truth is, this is the time to lean in. Because you are not the only one.

You’re Not Alone - You’re Just Isolated

We often hear doulas say, “It seems like everyone else is doing fine”, but that’s rarely the case. It’s just that no one wants to go first and say they’re struggling.

Imagine if you posted something simple like: “Anyone else finding it a bit quiet right now? Fancy a cuppa and a moan?”

You’d be amazed how many replies you get. Because we all feel this at times, it’s just that some of us are better at hiding it.

The Magic of Gathering

There’s something ancient and powerful about sitting in a circle. You don’t need a big reason to do it. You don’t need to create an event with name badges and a sign-up form (though you can if you like!). You can just gather in a park, or at someone’s house, or even on Zoom, and say:

“Let’s just share where we’re at.”

Bring a thermos. Bring some biscuits. Talk about births and worries and joys and slow months and funny stories. You’ll leave lighter. You’ll leave reminded of why you started this work in the first place. You’ll remember that we hold each other, just as we hold our clients.

You don’t need to have all the answers to show up for each other.

Let People See the Real You

When you’re not getting bookings, it’s tempting to present a perfectly polished version of yourself. But strangely, the opposite can help more. Share a bit of your heart. Let people see who you really are.

You might write a post like:

“It’s been a quiet few weeks for me work-wise, and I’ve been using the time to rest, reflect and refocus. If you know anyone expecting a baby or in the thick of new parenthood, feel free to share my details. I’d love to support someone lovely through this next chapter.”

This isn’t begging. It’s just being human. And humans connect with humans, not brands.

Create Your Own Momentum

Sometimes, we wait to be invited. But what if you were the one to create something?

• Organise a birthy book club in your area

• Set up a ‘doula brunch’ once a month

• Create a peer supervision group on WhatsApp

• Offer a free babywearing or postnatal prep session at your local community centre

It doesn’t need to bring in money straight away. But it builds visibility, connections, and confidence, and those three things are often what lead to bookings in the months ahead.

The Power of Staying the Course

When you’re in a quiet spell, it’s so easy to wonder if it’s time to pack it in. Maybe you look at other jobs and think, “At least I’d get a regular income.” Maybe someone in your family gently suggests you go back to what you did before. Maybe your inner voice, the most critical one of all, whispers, You gave it your best shot, maybe this just isn’t going to work.

But let me offer you this: what if this moment is not the end, but just a breath? A pause. A necessary space. A resting point before the next climb.

Because the truth is, being a doula, being self-employed at all, is a long game. There will be seasons of bloom and seasons of waiting. And neither says anything about your worth.

Seasons Change - And So Will This

Just as the tide goes out, it always comes back in. And so does work. This might be the month when no one gets in touch. But next month, your inbox might fill up.

You never know when a past client will refer you to their pregnant sister-in-law. Or when someone will find your website at 2 am and feel like they’ve finally found the right doula for them.

Your next client could be one day away from finding you.

Stay open to the possibility.

The Strength in Stillness

There is so much strength in sticking with something even when it feels uncertain. There is resilience in trusting your path. There is quiet power in sitting with the discomfort, feeling it fully, and still showing up with love and kindness for yourself and others.

One of the most famous quotes by Maya Angelou says it perfectly:

“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Even if you haven’t attended a birth or postnatal visit for a while, people will remember the way you made them feel, the warmth in your messages, the calm presence you brought to a chat, and the way you shared their pregnancy post on your stories.

These things matter.

You Are Not Alone - We Are Listening

Here at The BirthBliss Academy, we know that the doula path isn’t always straightforward. It’s full of heart, and effort, and waiting, and growing. And we’re here for all of it.

Whether you’re supporting families every week or sitting in a spell of silence, you are still a doula. You are part of this community. We see you. We believe in you.

We’re always listening and always doing what we can to support doulas across the country, especially those feeling the pinch, the pause, or the weight of wondering what’s next.

The Invitation

So, if things are quiet right now, here’s your invitation:

• Reach out to another doula, even just for a chat

• Show up in your community - online or off

• Tend to your business gently and consistently

• Be kind to yourself

• Remember that every single established doula has felt what you’re feeling

You are not behind. You are not invisible. You are simply in a moment. And moments change.

Let this be the season where you rooted deeper, grew stronger, and found your voice again. Your next chapter is just around the corner.