About the World Doula Week Host: Robin Elise Weiss

Doulas work hard, and I wanted a way to give back to them and help them grow their businesses. As doulas, we often find ourselves as accidental entrepreneurs—diving headfirst into building a business while dedicating ourselves to supporting families. That’s why I created the World Doula Week Giveaway – held starting on the first day of World Doula Week, March 22. I wanted to celebrate the work doulas do and help strengthen their businesses along the way.

The giveaway started in 2023 and has grown so much since then. We’ve added more contributors and welcomed even more doulas to join us each year. It’s truly become a celebration of our collective hard work and dedication. Honestly, it’s tough to put into words why this week means so much to me. But there’s something special about taking time to focus on doulas and the contributions we make to our communities. We need to support each other in this difficult but meaningful work, and this giveaway is one way to do just that.

I love that every year the giveaway offers a variety of gifts—from business-building resources to ones that uplift your spirits to practical skill-building tools. No matter where you are in your doula journey, there’s something for you. My goal has always been to reach as many doulas as possible and offer them something valuable.

About the World Doula Week Giveaway

The primary goal of the World Doula Week Giveaway is to gift doulas resources that help them grow personally and professionally while celebrating their essential work. Over the years, I’ve featured almost 100 gifts, ranging from practical tools to support business growth to uplifting and comforting resources.

Some past gifts have included:

• SEO help and Instagram templates

• Posterior Protocol for Occiput Posterior

• The 5 Ss of Birth Balls

• Visualization for Doulas After a Difficult Birth

• How to Start a Doula Agency

• Making Your Practice More Grief Informed

• Preparing Clients for Going Past Their Due Date

• 3 Essential Client Conversations About Obstetric Violence

• Managing Your Grief While Supporting Someone Else’s

• And so many more…

Every year, we ask doulas who they want to hear from and invite those contributors personally. It’s a collaborative effort that brings doulas together and highlights the power of community.

I get rave reviews and thank-you notes from participants each year, and I can’t tell you how much it means to hear that these gifts make a difference in someone’s practice. Whether it’s giving someone the tools to build a stronger business or helping them process their own grief while supporting others, these gifts make an impact. I hope that by uplifting doulas, we’re building stronger practices, preventing burnout, and fostering a sense of connection.

My vision is to continue growing the giveaway—reaching even more doulas and making it bigger and better every year.

Behind the Scenes: How It All Comes Together

It’s just me running the tech and organizing everything behind the scenes, and it’s been a learning curve, to say the least! But I love the process—especially getting to talk to contributors and brainstorming ideas with them. Sometimes people aren’t sure what they have to offer, but I’m passionate about helping them see the value in their experiences. I believe that doulas are the best people to support other doulas—no need for people outside the profession telling us how to do our work.

If you’d like to recommend someone for next year’s giveaway, you can do so through this link.

At its heart, the World Doula Week Giveaway is about celebrating doulas, strengthening our practices, and building a more connected community. It’s 100% free to participate, and it’s always a joy to see everyone share, learn, and uplift each other. Thank you for being a part of this celebration!

About Robin

Robin Elise Weiss, Ph.D., MPH, BDT/AdvCD(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, is a veteran birth doula and doula trainer with over 30 years of experience. She’s trained thousands of doulas, helping them grow successful careers and navigate the unique challenges of doula work. Robin is also a business mentor for doulas through Doula Office Hours, where she supports doulas looking to strengthen their businesses and client connections. She also offers comprehensive birth doula training through Learn to Be a Doula and one off micro courses for building your doula business and earning continuing education at doulasbusiness.com.

You can learn more about Robin and her journey at RobinEliseWeiss.com.