Is a Doula Worth the Moola?

This is an extremely valid question and one I hope to answer! After all, who has an extra $1000 in their back pocket to pay for something they aren't even sure the value of?

So lets talk turkey.

What are the craziest and most complex times in life that you can think of? Buying a house and moving? Starting a new job? Getting married and planning a wedding? Having a Baby? Those are, in fact, proven to be some of the most stressful times a person will encounter in their life. For each one of those situations you often have someone to mentor and guide you though it, walking you hand in hand through the process. When buying a house - Realtor, starting a new job - your new Boss or Trainer, planning a wedding - Wedding Planner, having a baby - Doula. Each one of these people are paid, either by you or someone else, to help you through this transition. They know the industry, they have experience and they are there to look out for your wishes and best interests.

Proven Benefits of a Doula

Child birth and the transition into motherhood, be it first time or sixth time, is a complex period of life. This transition effects the entire family. Caring physical, information and emotional support is a proven benefit to the whole family

DONA International Doulas are educated and trained to provide this support through pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

Numerous clinical studies have found that a doula's presence at birth:

• Tends to result in shorter labours with fewer complications
• Reduces negative feelings about the experience
• Reduces the need for labour augmentation, assisted delivery and cesareans
• Reduces requests for pain medication and epidurals

Research also shows that parents who receive support can:

• Feel more secure and cared for
• Adapt to new family dynamics more easily
• Have greater success breastfeeding
• Have greater self confidence and less postpartum depression
• Have a lower incidence of abuse

The Newest ACOG Obstetric Care Consensus Says:

“...one of the most effective tools to improve labor and delivery outcomes
is the continuous presence of support personnel, such as a doula....

...the presence of continuous one-on-one support during labor and delivery
was associated with improved patient satisfaction and a statistically
significant reduction in the rate of cesarean delivery... ”

How to Afford a Doula

At this point you are probably thinking, "It sounds like a Doula would be great, but how are we going to make it work??" Following are some options for you to consider.

Budget for It

First of all there is always budgeting and saving for the things we know we will need. We already budget for so many other things in life that are far more expensive and may even have much less value. Budgeting for a Doula is one way you know you will be able to afford it.

Payment Options

It may help you to know that my standard payment schedule is 50% at the time of booking and the other 50% about 2-4 weeks before your baby is due.

If you wanted to break those payments up even more, that can often be arranged as long as the balance is paid 2-4 weeks before your baby is due.

Gift Certificates

When someone asks you what you need for the baby, instead of asking for a $200 baby swing that will likely get used for about 3 months if at all, you can ask for a $50 ring sling, that you can use for more then a year, and a $150 gift certificate towards your Doula services! They can contact me to get a gift certificate in almost any amount. You can also add this to your Shower Registry too!

Insurance Coverage

Believe it or not, my Doula Services may be covered under your Extended Health Care Benefits. Particularly if you have SunLife insurance with a Flex or Health Spending Account. If you aren't sure, ask! Even if you aren't covered right now, the more people that request it, the more likely your insurance company will be to add the coverage so that you may be able to be covered next time.

Why I Charge What I Do

First and foremost, while being a Doula is Heart work, it is how I make a living. Many people have heard of "free" or "low cost" Doulas. In reality, there is no such thing as a "Free Birth". Someone always pays for a Doula to attend your birth, it is either you or the Doula (or your awesome friends and family if you received gift certificates!).

Keeping in mind that most Doulas, including me, are limited to about 2-3 clients a month, how much do you think a Doula would need to charge to make a decent wage?

Lets have a brief look at what you get when you have a Doula and some of the expenses a Doula has that you may not even be aware of:

What you get:

Prior to your birth

In person or phone interview - 1 hour
Minimum of 2 prenatal appointments - 4 hours
On call email, phone and text messaging support - 2 hours

At your birth

Attendance from the onset of active labour, or earlier if you are having issues in early labour. This is a WIDE range, but lets go with an average labour - 18 hours

After your birth

Immediate postpartum and breastfeeding support at your birth - 2 hours
Minimum 2 postpartum visits - 4 hours
On call email, phone and text messaging support - 3 hours

That's a total of 34 hours plus my travel time. If you live 30 minutes from me - 12 hours

That's a grand total of 46 hours per client, on average.

I hope this sheds some light on why I charge what I do and why I am worth it!