β π I am asked all the time, what's the difference between a fertility doula and a fertility coach? Or people just assume I am like a birth doula, or they assume I'm a fertility coach. And so today in this episode, I'm going to clarify the difference between a fertility doula and a fertility coach, because often both are misunderstood, but there are some key differences to understand and this really matters. β π Welcome to Her Fertility, the podcast revolutionizing the way women are supported on their fertility journey. I'm your host, Jess Tims, with years of supporting women as a fertility doula, I've seen the emotional pain caused by infertility, including my own struggle with unexplained infertility, and I always knew there had to be a better way to support women with their fertility, health, and healing.
This is the first podcast to combine the principles of spirituality and energy healing with the research-based fertility data to support you in a way you've never seen before. You can stop feeling alone, confused, frustrated, and overwhelmed, and start finding the answers you've been looking for. Because this podcast goes so much deeper than anything you can search for online if you are ready to find a new.
Spiritual perspective for your fertility journey, then press play. We are here to reclaim control, find clarity, and transform the fertility conversation.
βWelcome back to the Her Fertility podcast. I am so excited to, Nope.
Welcome back to the Her Fertility podcast. No, take that out. In today's episode, we are going to break down the difference between fertility doulas and fertility coaches for two major reasons. One, if you are looking for support, it is really important that you understand the difference between coaches and doulas and the different support out.β
It is really important that you understand the difference so that you can find the right support professional for you. My goal is to save you time, potentially save you money, and so that, and give you the information you need so that you can find the best person for you. It's just like picking a therapist, like you know you need the support.
But you have no idea where to start in finding a therapist. Well, this episode is going to give you kind of a. It's going to give you, well, this episode is going to give you a roadmap so that you know whether a fertility doula or a fertility coach is best for you. The second goal of this podcast episode is to clarify the roles so that if you are deciding whether you want to become a fertility doula or a fertility coach, then you understand the difference because there is a lot of confusion and they are both
fertility support professionals. So let's break it down. The first and foremost thing we must.
And the reason we're even having this conversation is because infertility rates are on the rise worldwide, and the current system we have in place, our medical system is crumbling before us, right? It is not equipped to handle truly the experience of infertility, and this is. And, and this is a bigger problem than we can solve in a podcast episode, but it's, it's one that is truly impacting people's experience when they are trying to get pregnant and all they have is their doctor.
And the experience in itself is so deep and wide, right? There is such a range that happens when you're experiencing infertility that you need more than just your doctor. And we have tons of information online. We live in the age of AI where we can literally get the answer to anything. But there is something so deeply human about the experience of infertility that.
You that it almost, that it requires, that it requires you get support beyond yourself. You can chat GPT your problems all day, and you will still be missing that heart to heart connection that we as humans require when we are going through something. β
And so if you feel called to support others or if you yourself find yourself in that space where you want support, then let's break down what a fertility doula and what a fertility coach can do for you.β
Now, when I. Now when I first started researching, now when I knew I wanted to support people through infertility, I had had my own experience with unexplained infertility and I was looked back on that and was like, that was terrible. I want nobody else to go through it in the way that I went through it.
I started doing some research and I found that fertility coaches were a thing, and so. And fertility coaches. And fertility coaching. And fertility coaching is, how do I say this?
And fertility coaching is something that is growing. Fertility coaches if we want. So let's talk about the basics. Fertility coaches are often goal oriented. Fertility coaches are often goal oriented. They are often strategy focused and action based. I like to think of them as like your sports coach, somebody who is there with you, pushing you towards the goal.
Often with fertility, the goal is to get pregnant, right? So they are working with you on that goal of achieving pregnancy. They might focus on mindset. They might focus on like your lifestyle habits. Um. They might focus on your lifestyle habits for both male and female partners. And one of the biggest assets to having a fertility coach is the accountability piece because we all know it's hard to make changes.
It is hard to stick to a plan by yourself sometimes, and that's where a coach comes in. That's where a coach in any area of your life comes in. They provide that accountability container so that you have this forward momentum while also being encouraged along the way and while also being held accountable for the changes that you're making.
And if you've done any research on your own, or maybe you. You know, been through, or maybe you've been experiencing infertility for a while, then you know that there are a lot of changes and things that you can do to improve your fertility health, but often those things are not socially the norm, right?
Like for example, a fertility based diet. The foods that support our fertility health are not the foods you can find at any restaurant or easily accessible, you know, through the drive-thru, right? Like it takes some serious effort to commit to a fertility diet plan. And while frustrating as that can be, it can also help move the needle a lot on your fertility health, right?
Our bodies need nutrients, and so being able to stick to your nutrient plan and having accountability for that and maybe getting some ideas around what you know to make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day, right? Like it's a lot. Then a fertility coach is somebody who can help you with that. And they often can see that bigger picture for you and help you reach towards that goal.
They are someone who, a coach is someone who moves clients towards change, and they are often future focused. βAnd we've had fertility coaches here on the Her Fertility podcast. I'll link the episodes below so if you wanna learn more about fertility coaching, then check out the show notes for that. Now, this role is different from a fertility doula, and in the last episode I talked about what a fertility doula is.
But let's break it down here in its most basic sense. And let's break it down here so that we can have a comparison.β
So like, so like a fertility coach, a fertility doula supports you on your fertility journey. But doulas take a different perspective. They're not there to move clients forward. They're there to stay with them exactly where they are. So fertility doulas, focus on emotional safety, regulation and regulation can look like emotional regulation, nervous system regulation, regulating this whole journey.
Fertility doulas are experts in witnessing or what I like to call holding space, and they are a non-judgmental presence and they're really focused on validation without redirection. And.
And so if, uh, lemme give you an example.
Okay. So to, and to give you an example of where a fertility doula would work.
And to give you an exam,
a moment where coaching would have felt harmful, but presence was healing.
β π And a fertility doula can absolutely help you get pregnant. When you have someone holding the space for you, you gain a lot of clarity with their support and even having the support. Research shows that having and feeling supported while trying to conceive increases your chances of conception. And for some, it's really that missing link with the stress piece when you are.
Going, going, going, pushing, doing, trying to get pregnant all on your own, and you're really efforting in that. And then you hire a fertility doula to support you and they. Take a lot of that pressure off because they offer a guidance system and a support system for you. Then it's almost like taking that weight off of you and giving it to them, and that release is huge in the way of releasing stress around your fertility journey because you're no longer doing it.
Alone, you have someone in your corner advocating for you, giving you recommendations and advice and supporting you. And if a fertility doula is trained through our fertility program, the Her Fertility support training, then they are trained in all kinds of fertility. Information. Our doulas are trained in cycle tracking, cycle syncing, the fertility awareness method.
They have the latest research on fertility, nutrition and supplements on hormone function and male fertility, and they have a deep awareness of what the options are for you, whether it's I-U-I-I-V-F or an assisted cycle, and having all of that knowledge as well as the support can absolutely move the needle and help support you in getting pregnant.
And I'll share an example from a client that I've worked with for two babies, um, where coaching would have felt I don't wanna say harmful, but like coaching would not have been for her. But the presence of a fertility doula was very healing for her.
So this amazing client, um, had experienced multiple pregnancy losses while using IVF. So she had already chosen to do IVF, she had successful IVF, but then lost the pregnancy. Not once, not twice, but three times. And so the the layers for her were, were really deep and very real, and she truly lost all hope in, in really all of the losses, but especially in that third loss.β
And in working with her, it wasn't about moving forward in that moment. Instead, it was about holding the space for her to feel. What was really happening for her in that moment so that she could go deep and explore the emotional repertoire, like the, I don't wanna call it a roller coaster, because when you're in like that level of grief, it's more of a scale or like a, a range of emotion that you experience. And
with the support of me as Her Fertility doula, she was able to experience all of that. And what is so beautiful about emotions is all they need is to be felt when we suppress or repress them down is when they get stuck and is when they often become really loud, right. But in working with a fertility doula and having someone to hold that space for her, she could ex, she could explore it in a safe way without judgment being validated in her feelings, but without being redirected too prematurely, and when the time was right.
We did move forward and we did focus on what was next. And today she is a mom of two beautiful humans who did come through IVF for her. And so that is an example where the experience itself wouldn't have felt as held if she was working with a coach. βAnd I share that with you so that you get a sense of how these two roles are different.
And really at the heart of fertility doula work is this emotional support is the ability to sit with someone's grief without finding the silver lining, the ability to allow anger without reframing it into something else. The ability to hold like uncertainty without like pushing and forcing for clarity and answers and goals, right?
Supporting clients without a no like with no next step are is really the moments that we have as fertility doulas, and this really matters when a fertility journey involves loss, like deep weighting, if there's any like trauma involved or lack of control, or if even confusion with the communication between your partner.
Not everything needs to be reframed. Some things just need to be witnessed. And so having a fertility doula is, is a way to have that witnessed in a really beautiful, held, supportive human connection kind of way. And I don't mean to sound bias in any way here. I am a fertility doula by choice, and I am so deeply in love with what I do, but I, I highlight this so that you can see how the rules are different.
βAnd so if you were choosing to step into a support role, if you were choosing whether to, you know, train as a fertility coach or train as a fertility doula, or if you are someone who wants support from either a fertility coach or a fertility doula, and you're wondering, what should I choose?
Like, which one should I choose? Here's a bit of a roadmap for you. And some questions you can ask yourself. β So a fertility coach is someone who, So a fertility coach is for someone who loves strategy, who really enjoys goal setting, and also benefits from the accountability piece. And I've seen this work really well, especially in partnerships where having somebody to hold the partnership accountable, like both
people like the male and the female in most don't wanna say that.
Who can hold both partners accountable? So who can hold both partners accountable? Really helps move the needle for them. And oftentimes fertility coaches have like a plan or a process or a framework that they use to guide you through. And if you're somebody who likes that type of structure, then going with the fertility coach would be for you.
Now a fertility doula would appeal to those who really feel called to this, this presence, right? Who, who are acknowledging and realizing that the emotions are a deep part of this process, and that having someone to hold the space for the emotions is honestly the best way for them to be processed. And who wants the space held without fixing, and it's not in an effort to keep you stuck, right?
Like having a fertility doula doesn't keep you stuck in that emotion. Instead, it actually helps you feel that emotion more quickly, effectively, and deeply so that you can move through and out of that emotion. Not alone. You don't suppress and repress. You move through and out of it with someone who's holding that space for you.
And so if you are maybe on a journey where it has brought you a lot of things you didn't expect, you have experiences of like, failed IVF or loss, or even just trying on your own without success and that that feels deep for you. Like, you feel like, wow, what's wrong with me? Then having a fertility doula would be for you, and one isn't, isn't better.
They're just different roles, right? And they are different approaches to support. And so if you are looking for the support of a fertility doula, please look in the show notes for the link to the directory where you can find a fertility doula that can support you. And if you're drawn to this path, to this path of supporting others on their fertility journey, I can personally say that it is the most rewarding
thing to support someone during a time that is really tricky to navigate on your own. And if you want to learn more, then please click the link in the show notes to join one. What's the call to action?
So if you are really, or. Or if you are, or if you are really drawn to this path of supporting others on their fertility journey. I can say from my own personal experience that supporting others through a time that feels almost impossible to navigate is one of the most rewarding things to do every day.
I. I am so honored to be supporting people through this journey. And if that sounds like something you wanna know more about, then please find the in the show notes the link for an upcoming webinar on what is a fertility doula and how to get certified because we need more fertility, doulas supporting people in the world.
β π And I am answering all of your questions in a free webinar through January and February of 2026. And so you can find all the details there. Um, but I would, I would love to support you as you make the decision β π to support others.
