You’ve finally gotten your partner on board with your plan to hire a doula. You’ve shared about all the wonderful ways that a birth and postpartum doula will support your entire family. You’ve even set up some a consultation with us to find the right doula for you.

But then your partner starts expressing some hesitancy about the cost…

“Why is it so expensive?”
”Is a doula worth the money?”
”What if we don’t need the support in the end?”

In all honesty, this is the number one form of resistance we hear, especially from spouses or partners. And we get it. Having a baby isn’t cheap and finances ultimately play a large role when deciding what kind of support you have before, during, and after the birth of your baby.

So let’s talk about it. Let’s talk about why doula support costs what it does and the intrinsic value of doula services.

Training & the cost of business

Training is our bread and butter. It is so important to have a professionally trained doula (you’d be surprised how many doulas or “baby nurses” out there haven’t gone through a formal training) and we make sure that every doula on our team has that educational background. By hiring a trained and certified doula you are hiring someone that has taken committed steps to make this a career not just a side hustle. Additionally, the most prominent doula training organizations require a certain number of CEUs (or continuing education units) to stay in good standing and re-certify. We never stop learning and always seek to expand our education which means that you’ll have up-to-date information at your fingertips. We regularly draw on our training, experience, and resources to support our clients and community.

As business owners, we simply have to charge a rate that is sustainable to allow us to fully focus on you, our clients. We are a small, boutique agency that takes a limited number of clients each month. We do this purposefully so that we can be available to you when you need us. By charging a living wage, we can do the work we love and support our clients without the need for a part-time job that would take us away from doula work.

Beyond face-to-face support

While the majority of your fee is going to paying for the in-person support at your birth or during postpartum visits, your birth doula is also on call for you 24/7. We know this can seem abstract to some who don’t work on-call, so we’ll break it down for you. Being on call 24/7 means that your doula is available to you day or night. When you go into labor you are her top priority - she arranges childcare, misses holiday gathering, her kids birthday, and other planned events to come to you. She puts her life on hold to be there for your most important moments. Between postpartum visits she’s available for questions, resources, and support - yes, even at 2am. The peace of mind that comes with having a professional and committed expert on call for you is priceless.

Emotional Support

Birth & parenting is intense. And as much as your partner may want to (or maybe not!) they can’t do it all. Holding space for all your emotions plus their own is really hard. So is trying to remember everything you learned in your childbirth class and trying to remember the best ways to help support you. With a birth doula by your side, much of the pressure will be relieved allowing space for your partner to be fully present emotionally. Not only does this help them, but we find it creates a more intimate experience for you both which paves way for easier bonding with your baby.

Speaking of your baby, having a newborn means a rollercoaster of emotions for many new parents. Not only are you dealing with hormonal fluctuations and the physical recovery from birth, you’re both running on very little sleep. Increased feelings of stress, anxiety, and exhaustion are common for both parents post-birth. Your postpartum doula offers a listening ear, helps normalize everything you’re going through and even gives you space to rest and spend time as a couple to nurture your relationship without distraction. Your doula is also there to help facilitate and encourage bonding as a family either through skin-to-skin, feeding, bedtime routines and more.

ZZZZZZZs

Sleep deprivation. We know you’ve probably heard a lot about it, but until you experience it first hand, you don’t know just how hard it is. Lack of consistent, restorative sleep has the ability to impact every aspect of your day-to-day lives, but what if you had the ability to get regular sleep even with a newborn? Overnight care with your postpartum doula provides just that! While you and your baby may not technically get a “full nights sleep”, your doula is there to help you maximize your sleep. If you’re formula feeding your doula can take over night feeds that will allow you to get the restorative sleep you need to function the next day. For those who are breastfeeding or chestfeeding, not only will your doula support you through the feed itself, she can burp, change, and settle your baby back to sleep allowing you to reconnect with your pillow as soon as you’re done feeding! This is especially great if your partner has limited time off work or has already gone back to work. For older babies and toddlers, in-home sleep coaching is also a great investment for quick, long-term results!

Education & Information

Books, blogs, articles, and all the well-meaning advice from friends and family can be overwhelming! Imagine having one expert resource you can turn to for all of your birth and baby related questions!! While your doula isn’t a medical professional and doesn’t know everything (really, who does?) her knowledge and expertise is invaluable. Whether you have questions about inducing labor, want to know if a certain baby carrier is right for you, if you’re worried you aren’t making enough milk, or just have general questions about pregnancy, birth, or parenting with a doula by your side, you’ll always have a safe place to go to find information & resources.

So now that we’ve talked about the value of support, we’d like to mention some practical ways to make things work on the financial side of things. Below are some of our top tips to prioritize hiring a doula:

• Contact us early! A typical fee schedule includes 50% due at contract signing and 50% due at 36 weeks of pregnancy. That said, we’re happy to create alternate payment plans with recurring automatic payments.

• Start saving BEFORE you get pregnant. Setting aside money pre-pregnancy is a super smart way to ensure you have the funds available.

• Plan ahead with your HSA/FSA accounts. Birth, postpartum and sleep training support are covered by most HSA/FSA funds, but you may have to get pre-approval.

• Set up a doula registry. We can custom create a registry page on our website which will give family, friends, and coworkers the chance to contribute towards your doula costs.

• Set aside your tax refund!

Ultimately, viewing doula support as an investment is key to understanding the value of the support we provide. We truly love the work we do and are committed to helping guide you through this incredible journey. We can help you find an amazing doula match to support your needs and your budget!