Do you know anyone who is a doula?

[cleo29]

Do they like it?   I have been thinking a lot about what I want to do. I will be keeping my notary certifications current because I see that as a great way to make extra money here and there, but I am feeling less confident in making it a full time thing and I fear the current company I work with will try to low ball me.

I have thought about being a doula on and off for a while.  I actually think I could be good at it. 

Anyway, would love to hear what people have to say.

[fryjack2]

Yes.

If you don't mind being on call 24/7 and can drop everything to be at a mom to be's bedside, it may be an option

Personally, I prefer when labor doulas have a bit more anatomy and physiology backgrounds or classes than what some programs offer. If that is the route you want to go, maybe look into a class?

[waverly]

I know someone who was a doula. Honestly, she was elderly when I worked with her, and seemed a bit out of touch in both our work and the doula work. And she still needed another job, but I think it could be good for someone that doesn't need a ton of money and wants their own business. The hours will probably be late at night. And yes, she did like it. I didn't hear a ton about it from her, so my general impression is maybe she didn't take on a lot of clients or maybe was phasing that out due to retirement.

[cleo29]

Sept 10, 2021 14:59:42 GMT -5 fryjack2 said:

Yes.

If you don't mind being on call 24/7 and can drop everything to be at a mom to be's bedside, it may be an option

Personally, I prefer when labor doulas have a bit more anatomy and physiology backgrounds or classes than what some programs offer. If that is the route you want to go, maybe look into a class?

I am looking into a training center that is associated with DONA International. I would definitely want to be well trained and knowledgable. 

[emilyinchile]

Yes, a friend of mine from college trained to be a doula. She hasn't actually done it professionally yet she got pregnant again herself and had some life stuff come up (plus pandemic with a baby at home is not really when anyone wants to launch herself into working with strangers in a medical setting), so I can't speak to that part of things. She is very passionate about maternal healthcare and thinks it's usually pretty abysmal in the US, so she wants to help support women through pregnancy and birth.

[wanderingback]

I’ve done doula training with a Black midwife to supplement the care I provide for people, especially with the Black maternal and morbidity crisis. And yes I know several people who are doulas.

I guess it really depends on what your goals are for becoming a doula are, but it really is something that you can make your own in regards to the pre-birth care, labor and post-partum care you provide. There are also pregnancy loss and abortion doulas. I do overall think it’s something you have to be passionate about and flexible to be successful professionally and financially.

Things to think about are what type of training you want to undertake, how you’ll get your first clients, your business model and if you want to work independently or join a collective and then what type of care you’ll provide. Home births, birth centers, hospitals, etc. Most independent doulas I know take on a handful of clients throughout the year and depending on where they live charge anywhere from $500-$1200 per client and some do pro-bono work as well.

Anyone can really call themselves a doula, there is no official certificate, which I’m fine with. But some insurance companies are starting to reimburse but what I’ve heard is the reimbursement is super low so doulas have opted out. So really there are many routes one can go.

[cleo29]

wanderingback, thank you! I definitely want to take as much training as possible and from a reputable center. I am interested in pre-birth, labor and post-partum care. What I do find interesting is the different areas in which you can train and work with women.

I have a friend who is a birth photographer, who I know had a doula with her births, so I am going to speak with her about her experience and to see if I could speak with her doula. I definitely want to speak with women who are doulas to get their advice, hear their experiences, etc and just get a better picture of their role. (I mean I know what they do, but I would imagine a lot can vary from client to client)

[underwaterrhymes]

My cousin is a doula and she LOVES it. I’d be happy to connect you. Message me on FB if you’d be interested in talking with her.

[cleo29]

Sept 10, 2021 15:37:20 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

My cousin is a doula and she LOVES it. I’d be happy to connect you. Message me on FB if you’d be interested in talking with her.

That would be great, thank you!

[SusanBAnthony]

I know a ton of them. Most are certified through DONA I think. It seems to be a gateway drug to midwifery as well.

I don't know if any of them fully support themselves. It seems like more of a part time job, and yes you have to be on call. A lot of them also teach childbirth ed classes.

Those with kids tend to partner with a couple other Doulas to provide childcare when one of them gets called.

I think there is a lot of demand for overnight postpartum Doulas.

[heygrey]

My friend’s mom is a doula and assisted at several births in my friend circle. She really loves it, but didn’t start until her youngest child was an older teenager, like old enough to drive. She works with a group of doulas so they can be on call for each other’s clients if one has non-negotiable plans like a wedding or vacation.

She also works as a lactation consultant at a coupe local clinics that have regular hours each week and is available for in home consultations for nursing moms. That might be something you could do that would be more family friendly while your kids are younger.

[wildrice]

There is a former GBCN poster (I cannot recall her username anymore - unless maybe it was just her first name?) who became a doula within the last couple of years. We're just FB friends so I only get the social media perspective of her career, but she seems to love it.

[Saudade]

meltoine are you still doing it?

[al dente]

I know a few. None of them seem to do it full time, maybe a few clients a year? But it's also prob one of those things that it depends how much you put into really trying to get clients and all.

Im very visibly pregnant and a lady at the grocery store yesterday stopped me to ask if I need a doula. I was so caught off guard I said no, but I think it would be nice. Hospital policy currently is only one support person though and I'm not kicking my H out for a random grocery store doula.

[meltoine]

Sept 10, 2021 16:21:40 GMT -5 Saudade said:

meltoine are you still doing it?

Nope. We couldn't make childcare work with two on-call careers (H is a pilot). 

Look into ProDoula also. They are another certifying body (besides DONA) and their courses include all the same "how to be a doula" pieces, but they also include a lot of "how to run a business" and "how to attract clients". The only professional, financially self-sufficient doulas I know went through ProDoula. Everyone who trained with other organizations seems to have a lot of trouble actually making any money at it.

Also, postpartum care is where the $$$$ is. $40-60/hour in my area. More predictable schedule since you book ahead of time, so easier to coordinate the rest of your life. 

[ellipses84]

My sister was a birth doula on the side for many years. She lives near a large military base and had base access so she was hired by a lot of mothers who’s husbands were away. I think it started because she has a huge social circle with tons of friends and happened to be asked to be a support person for many of them first. Then got more clients through word of mouth. Her career relates to early child development so it wasn’t that far of a leap. She stopped when she had her own kids after many years of infertility, mainly due to the last minute schedule challenges.

I have a friend who recently started doing it, but I think she is primarily a postpartum doula. She’s very educated about breastfeeding and will help with any support the mother needs.

[cleo29]

meltoine, Thank you for the tip, I will go check them out now. H has a set M-F, 7-4 job, so scheduling, in that aspect, will not be an issue.

[lostrn]

Sept 10, 2021 15:38:45 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

Sept 10, 2021 15:37:20 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

My cousin is a doula and she LOVES it. I’d be happy to connect you. Message me on FB if you’d be interested in talking with her.

That would be great, thank you!

You and I are in the same general area (I think!) and I've got a couple doula friends and a couple midwife friends I can attempt to connect you with if you are interested. Some of the nurses and a midwife I used to work with actually started their own home birth service in Loudoun county and I'm sure they could share some great resources for getting started as well.

[cleo29]

Sept 10, 2021 18:01:24 GMT -5 lostrn said:

Sept 10, 2021 15:38:45 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

That would be great, thank you!

You and I are in the same general area (I think!) and I've got a couple doula friends and a couple midwife friends I can attempt to connect you with if you are interested. Some of the nurses and a midwife I used to work with actually started their own home birth service in Loudoun county and I'm sure they could share some great resources for getting started as well.

That would be fantastic, thank you!