Why do doulas cost what they do?

Doulas are self-employed birth professionals!

While we pay for our initial training, we also require continuing education in things like childbirth education, Spinning Babies, rebozo use, acupressure, acupuncture, breastfeeding support, and so much more!

Our service packages offer prenatal, postpartum visits, and birth support, which adds up to anywhere from 12-40 hours of work per client. This does not include the 24 hour on-call service, which can last anywhere from one day to five weeks. That’s a lot of round the clock care!

Our business overhead includes memberships to professional associations and collectives, website and social media management and basic marketing materials.

Additionally we pay our backup doulas, and have to account for childcare, health insurance, professional liability insurance, and taxes.

Doula services are more than meets the eye! We do tough, emotional work and a burnt out, underpaid doula is going to have a hard time showing up for their clients in the necessary ways. Our practice has to be sustainable!

When you invest in doula care, you’re investing in yourself, your birth experience, your baby, your partner, and in a small business.