Why should I pay for a doula?
So let’s just jump right into it. Doulas are professionals. It is becoming more and more common for doulas to get qualified and certified by accredited training facilities. This means that we invest time and money into this career, and that we also have the right to ask a fair price, just like any other profession.
So, now that we have that out of the way, let’s look at what you are paying for and investing in when you do decide to have a doula as part of your birthing team.
Note: The price you’ll pay will depend on the doula you choose, the package you choose, and the area you are in.
Prenatal support
Almost all doulas will do a free get-together meeting (usually online) of about 30 to 60 minutes. The purpose of this meeting is to see if you and the doula are a good fit. After the meeting, you will have a few days to decide if you want to go ahead or not. (See my post about choosing your doula.)
[in person doula time: 30-60 minutes]
Once you’ve selected your doula, you will have between 2 and 5 prenatal meetings with your doula, depending on the package you choose. These meetings range between 1 and 2 hours, and cover a variety of topics like discussing your hopes and fears, discussing the birth process, discussing different birthing outcomes, setting up a birth preference list, postpartum prep, breathing and massaging techniques, and partner meetings.
[in person doula time: 3-9 hours]
On call
Your doula will be available to you via text or email, during working hours, from the moment you hire her. From around 38 weeks of pregnancy, your doula will go on call. This means 24/7 support via phone for any questions or concerns you may have. Most doulas stay on-call until week 42 if necessary.
[on-call doula time: up to 672 hours (4 weeks)]
Birth
Your birth doula will be at your side during birth. Depending on the package and doula you choose, the price will include between 12 and 15 hours of birth support, with the option to extend for an extra hourly fee. Some packages might include unlimited birth support. How this support looks will differ depending on your birth preference, but the thing that will always be the same is that the doula will be at your side for the duration of the birth.
[in person doula time: 12-15 hours]
Postpartum
Within a week or two after the birth, your doula will visit you and your baby at home. The purpose of the visit will vary slightly depending on your needs. This visit is usually between 60 and 90 minutes.
[in-person doula time: 60-90 minutes]
LET’S PUT IT TOGETHER
Based on the timings above, the minimum time you will spend with your doula face-to-face is roughly 16.5 hours and the maximum time is roughly 26.5 hours. Now add onto that the 24/7 on-call time of up to four weeks.
Your doula invests all this time into you and your partner, with a lot of love and care. By the time you go into labour she has already spent quite a few hours with you and has an in-depth understanding of your wishes. You can have a look at my post about doula support to get an overview of the kind of support you can expect from your doula.
Reach out to me here if you have any questions or would like to book a meet and greet.
