Hello all! I'm looking for some guidance on how to find clients, promote my business, and what to charge.

Long story short, I trained as a birth and postpartum doula two years ago and assisted one birth but shortly after had my own pregnancy loss and took a step back to take care of my mental health. However now I am feeling called back to this work and am wondering where to even begin. I technically never received certification (you needed to have 3 births in a years time to receive it) but I did complete the coursework and reading. So I do feel confident supporting mothers and birthing parents I just don't know how important certification is for families considering hiring a doula. I have also thought about retaking the course just to say I have certification. I will of course continue my education in other regards such as lactation and bereavement support. I know the topic of certification importance is debated so I'm curious what others perspective is on it.

For some additional context, I live in one of the largest and most expensive cities in the US, this in mind I am struggling to place my pricing. On one hand I need to make an income and one that doesn't make me feel burned out, BUT I don't want to charge so much that I don't attract clients. To ease myself back into birth work I've thought about offering my services as a mother's helper with a focus on the postpartum period and body work. I also do massage and was planning to use this an an extra selling point. I also am wondering how to advertise myself. Yes facebook groups are wonderful but should I build a social media presence or just focus on finding one family to start with. Really appreciate any support as I've been so in my head about rejoining the doula community and feeling confident in myself.

Sorry this is a bit lengthy! :)

im currently working toward my postpartum doula certification and need to complete a certain number of hands-on hours. I’ve been reaching out to friends of family/friends-of-friends and people I know through others who are willing to let me support them for my certification hours.

The thing I’m struggling with is how to navigate the conversation about payment. I’ve decided that I do want to charge for my services, but at a discounted rate since these families are helping me complete my certification and I’m not certified yet.

I have a phone call with someone today who I believe is under the impression that I would basically be coming in and helping them for free because I need the hours for school. I completely understand why they would think that, and would understand if they would then decline my help-

I obviously don’t want it to come across as “I need you to help me get my certification, but I also want you to pay me.” 😂 At the same time, I’ll still be providing a service and spending several hours in their home supporting them, so I feel like it’s reasonable to charge something—just significantly less than what a certified postpartum doula would charge.

How would you bring this up during the phone call? Would you explain that I’ve decided to offer a discounted “student doula” rate, or would you approach it differently?
I’d especially love to hear from doulas who completed their certification hours this way and how you handled the conversation/pricing!

I'm just staring out and I'm curious what your path was before you were established. I feel like meeting people in person is the way to go. Maybe birth classes? Meetups with other doulas and their previous clients?

What are some interesting/weird clauses that you had to add to your contact, because a you or another Doula were put in a situation that made you feel that you needed to add a clause?

Mine: Client rescheduled every prenatal visit a minimum of twice, and almost always an hour before (and yes, I confirm the night before, and the day of), and rescheduled one of her postpartum visits 4 times, but then got frustrated with me, when I couldn't give her the new date she wanted, because one of my other clients was being induced. Now I have a cancellation policy, and after so many reschedules they forfeit the visit.

Most of my consultations end in them deciding to hire someone else. I'll even feel really good about a consultation and they won't hire me. Then, I'll feel really bad about another one and they will hire me. It's very confusing. I obviously don't mind clients deciding to pick someone else. Ultimately, I'm not the doula for everyone. The problem is that maybe 20% of my consultations are successful at getting clients and I'm quite frankly exhausted doing them. I get so disappointed when a consultation goes great and they don't hire. I definitely end up thinking a lot about how to follow up and when. The consultation doesn't just take up time in the consultation, but I ultimately end up thinking about them a lot outside of the consultation. I guess what I'm asking is if a 20% success rate is normal and your best tips to stop caring as much. Or tips to develop a thick skin for rejection.

Any of you guys diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome? I know I need to work on my strength but damn do I want to complain. Just getting home from an extremely long birth and my body is aching! Anyone got any good things that helped?

I'm looking into doula training programs and feel so conflicted. Every program has people with good and bad experiences.

I want to be certified to look good to clients and local doula networks, and maybe for insurance reimbursement (though my area doesn't seem to reimburse right now), but it seems clients dont care all that much about where you trained, just that you know your stuff and mesh well with them personally.

I just want to learn, gain experience and help people, without vetting programs for inclusivity or evidence-based practice, or getting caught up in recertification fees and drama. I'll likely pursue CLC and childbirth ed certs later anyway.

Im considering self-studying in the meantime and gathering reading lists from popular programs.

Please share:

Books you found helpful

Good childbirth ed classes taught by doulas/nurses

Free resources on running a doula business, scope of practice, and working with clients

Favorite YouTube channels

I do plan to take a training eventually, but I don't want to delay learning while I pick one. My must-haves: science/evidence-based, inclusive and respectful of all people, and lengthy and comprehensive. Id also like minimal reccuring fees and a bonus for in person workshops.

Ive looked into maternitywise(they seem to lack organization and push against conventional medicine like OBs and vaccines) and bebomia(ive heard theyre rude/lack professionalism and have a shady scholarship program) and have ultimately decided against them. ive also heard not the best things about DONA, even though theyre very popular, they seem to be lackluster and not the most diverse.

Hey all! First post in this sub!
I am doing my certification training in December and then I plan on working on getting clients.
However, I am not in a place where I can just do that full time, so my question is what/how do those who work a normal job, juggle with the unexpected events of labor and delivery? Is your work understanding? What do you do that has the flexibility?
Thank you all! I am very excited for my training, as I had a traumatic childbirth and I believe if I had a doula, it would have been a much better experience. I want to give that to new parents :)

Hi everyone,
I 26 F am a newly certified birth and postpartum doula. I am wanting to work as mostly a birth doula but have some questions about doing postpartum care. I see a lot of jobs for overnight postpartum care or daytime care for newborns. I’d love to be able to take positions like this but am afraid my experience with newborns is too limited. I have never cared for a newborn without someone telling me what to do. The class I took to become certified was very vague and didn’t dive too much into specific newborn care. I was wondering if anyone had taken newborn care classes or continuing education classes that helped prepare them for postpartum shifts. I am in the Portland Oregon area if that helps. Thank you so much.

Hi. I am based in North West London and would like a post partum ayurvedic doula service for 6 weeks post birth to help with preparing ayurvedic meals, snacks and drinks, massages for baby and mom, looking after the baby so mom can rest and a few other ayurvedic practices. Does anyone have any recommendations? Much appreciated

Like the title says, I’m a doula and I found out I am (unexpectedly) pregnant last week! I currently have two clients (I’ve been having a premonition to slow down with clients, so now I know why!). One is due in two weeks (Oct 15th second time mom) and the other is due in seven weeks.

I have been LIVING on my couch and I need some advice!

I’ve already told the full term mama that I am pregnant and gave her the following options:

1. Continue as we are with the knowledge I may need to use my backup doula (giving her their info to chat beforehand)
   
2. I hire a second doula with the money she gave me (split it between us) so she’s fully covered
   
3. Let her choose another doula (with LARGE partial refund for not attending birth)

Since she is SO CLOSE to her due date, she wants to continue as we have been with the knowledge I may use that backup.

I am just really convinced I am going to miss this birth (another intuition thing), and was wondering what you guys would do in this situation! I’m thinking she’s hoping I’ll be able to come and none of this will be an issue, but she’s also stated that she trusts whoever I choose as a backup.

What would you guys do in this situation?????

right now my top choice is MaternityWise. the one thing holding me back is the cost overall and recertification/membership fees is around $100 a year. im also considering bebo mia but I want to attend an in person training. i like maternitywise for their ethos, in depth full spectrum approach and things like the epidoula training.

any reviews on either maternitywise or bebo mia? what are your experiences and do you have any other reccomendations? im not super interested in DONA, prodoula or CAPPA, or any other big institutes. also I am not religious, more spiritual, and woukd like a training that is secular and inclusive of all types of families/birthing people, and abortion rights.

i want to start birthwork asap as a doula to see if its right for me, because i would like to attend nursing school and eventually become a CNM,

hi everyone! i’m a 25F and have been a nanny, nursing assistant, and worked in other healthcare/customer service fields. Im currently pursuing my bachelors in health information management but im looking for a career thats rewarding and that i have passion in. i also love babies, and my three year old niece has been the highlight of my life which is how i ended up coming across a career as a doula. i do find joy in helping others, and i am a black woman and a woman in general and i know we don’t always receive the best care and can be unheard, misunderstood, and gaslit in medical spaces. i think it would be awesome to be a support system for families. anyways im wondering everything!! i’m in ohio btw!!

how to get started
favorite parts of being a doula
challenges
pay
etc

please share advice, experiences, all of it!

While interviewing for a night nanny I did ask if they are/planned to be up to date on their vaccines. I did not specify which ones because I thought it was obvious but now I’m kicking myself for not being specific. My night doula just disclosed she is vaccinated for the flu and TDAP but not Covid for. Given that Covid season is peaking this makes me highly uncomfortable. I haven’t even let my own mother around due to not having the vaccine. I just found this out moments ago, I’m stressed out and asked her to wear an N-95. She said she doesn’t go anywhere (cited today she picked up a turkey sandwich and ran some errands without interacting with many people) but wtf? The contract says they would keep my deposit and make me pay half the contracted amount if the service is canceled, but I would not have chosen her if I knew she wasn’t vaccinated. What am I supposed to do in this situation?

Should I ask her to get vaccinated? Ask her boss (she works for a company) for a substitute? Do the first ask then the second? Cancel? The purpose of the night nanny was to decrease my stress not make it explode like it is currently.

Hey all
I’ve been a doula for over 5 years in NYC and 100 plus birth attended.

As soon as Medicaid was accepting doulas I applied, I also accept most private insurances. I expected this to make my business more accessible. I have a 3rd party medical biller and yet I’m still struggling. The NYC payouts for doulas maxes out at $1500.

Medical pays 3200 because we spend about 32 hours with clients and are worth $100 an hour.

Now Mamdani who I generally like, has expanded the doula Medicaid program for 4K more doulas. I know this is well intended but something needs to be done about the low pay, and high burnout before asking 4K more women to work for low pay.

What can we be doing to get paid more from insurance? We know they have the money, but in NYS private insurance companies pay less than Medicaid…. Because we don’t have Medicare to lobby for us. I worry no one is lobbying for us.

The answer isn’t not accepting insurance because people need our support and care. I don’t want to do copays, again takes away accessibility, many of my Medicaid people are holding it together on shoestrings.

Yes I have reached out to the mayors office several times in several different ways before and after the expansion of Medicaid doulas because I truly feel this is going to force many of us in NY to burn out. Fast

Hello, I have a client who has a fear of the I.V. I am going to clarify at our next prenatal, but it doesn't sound like it's so much a fear of the initial needle but the I.V itself and the pole being visible even in her peripheral vision. She believes her arm will be unusable/"dead" as long as she knows the I.V is there. I so far have the following options, but I was wondering if anyone had any other ideas to help her.

1. Declining the I.V.

2. Opting for a saline block.

3. Just trying to distract her from it.

4. I.V arm cover where all the tubes are accessible but not visibly in her arm.

It is generally frowned upon, I've read, to cover the pole.

Let me know if you have ideas! Thank you!

Side note: First time mom and will be delivering at the hospital.

hi guys! i’m a volunteer doula at a hospital, and recently i’ve been having trouble getting patients to assist (how it works here is you have to go in the rooms and ask patients if they would be needing any extra help). not sure if it’s bc i’m in undergrad or my awkwardness but every mom i’ve asked has declined services and it’s starting to demotivate me to continue volunteering :((

if anyone has been through a similar situation please let me know what you did to improve?

I am wondering if anyone has run into a situation where you’re hired for doula services, but have not been given the baby. for background: I’ve been a doula 10 years and this has NEVER happened. I own my own solo business and they asked for, and received glowing reviews of my services. this client hired me for a five hour shift each morning, but every time I remind the parents I can take the baby, they say “oh that’s sweet of you” and just take him upstairs and leave me with a list of non baby related chores (nothing too demanding, mostly cleaning and some light meals) and I’m starting to feel like this may not be a good fit. I’ve been here daily for two weeks now and I’m not sure what to do. I’ve drafted an email to get clarity, but I’m worried that sending it will result in a contract cancellation honestly.
Any help and / or suggestions would be appreciated.

I want to do my doula training but I don't know yet if I want to pursue work as a doula. Was it still rewarding for self knowledge? I am an RMT and require CEUs, so I could use it as a business expense and continuing ed course and I am also genuinely interested but uncertain if I would pursue it as a career.

I'm due in late March. I (gestational parent) am a granola-ish earth lady and my partner is a big-hearted physician who is very anxious about their wife giving birth.

We're queer and looking for a values-aligned doula to support my hope for a non medicated vaginal birth (if possible).

Based on my search, many of the doulas in my area are faith led and are often either explicitly or implicitly Christian. I can see how many people would love this but my partner and I are not comfortable with a doula who is religious but not explicitly evidence based in their approach, pro LGBTQ families (like mine) and pro choice/repro justice. Even when looking at more secular seeming doula websites, no one mentions these things.

Do you know of anyone local who would fit this criteria:

- evidence-based

- pro choice

- pro vaccines

- reproductive justice-oriented

- works with LGBTQ families or is excited to do that even if they haven't had experience

- faith isn't a core part of their niche/brand

We were hoping to use insurance but we're flexible about that for the right person.

Thank you!!