How To Become A Doula

Is it hard being a doula?

A doula is a person who is trained to provide support to parents before, during, and after childbirth. Unlike a midwife, a doula has no medical training—but their experience and support can make a great positive difference in a new parent’s life. Choosing to become a doula is no easy decision.

While the rewards are great, there are long hours at births and you must be on call whenever your clients need you. You may be drawn to this field as a way to help people as they become parents, or perhaps it’s a natural extension of something you already do like working as a childbirth educator or in another health field.

Bear in mind that working as a doula is not, for most people, a way to earn a living, though many people do supplement their incomes with this money. The vast majority of people who attend births as a doula do so because they are passionate about sharing information and helping birthing families.

Can a doula deliver a baby?

A doula is a person who provides emotional and physical support to you during your pregnancy and childbirth, Doulas are not medical professionals. They don’t deliver babies or provide medical care. A certified doula has taken a training program and passed an exam in how to help pregnant women and their families during this exciting but challenging experience.

Labor or birth doulas provide continuous care during labor. Antepartum doulas support women who are put on bed rest to prevent preterm labor, They help with household tasks and childcare. Postpartum doulas support the new mom during the first few weeks after birth. They help with care and feeding of the baby and household tasks.

Before childbirth, a birth doula will typically:

Meet with you during your second or third trimester to get acquaintedTeach you relaxation and breathing skillsAnswer your questions about the birthing processHelp you understand labor and delivery procedures and possible complicationsHelp you develop a birth plan

During labor, the doula will:

Stay with you constantly to provide comfort and supportUse massage and touch to help you relax and restHelp you get into comfortable positionsHelp you get adequate nutrition and fluidsHelp communicate your preferences to the medical staffInvolve and reassure the dad-to-be

After delivery, a doula can:

Provide support and encouragement to both you and dad after bringing your baby homeTeach both of you how to care for your new babyAssist with breastfeeding educationSupport dad and other siblings and teach them how to help youMake sure you get plenty of rest, eat regularly, stay hydrated, and are comfortable

As needed during your labor and delivery, they will help you communicate with the medical team. A doula doesn’t replace nursing or other medical staff. They don’t examine you, take measurements, or do other clinical tasks. A doula can help you and the dad-to-be have a positive and safe birth experience:

During labor, a doula can take over coaching now and then to give the dad a break.When desired, a doula can completely free the dad-to-be from coaching tasks – and from having to remember the instructions from your childbirth classes, They can enjoy the process and focus on supporting you emotionally.Studies show that women who use a doula have shorter labors, are less likely to need a C-section, request less pain medication, and have a more positive childbirth experience.Moms who used doulas after birth may have more success with breastfeeding,

How much do doulas get paid in the UK?

3 years ago I wrote my first blog post, in response to an article in the independent, accusing doulas of being money grabbing opportunists. Today I feel compelled to write another blog post, as this time a medical professional is saying that we charge “extortionate prices”.

Dr Ahmed Rashid, an NHS doctor, wrote this piece in the British Journal of General Practise ” I first came across a doula as a junior doctor working in obstetrics and the idea has fascinated me since. In case you haven’t heard of them, they are trained or experienced lay women who provide social, emotional, and practical support during pregnancy and birth, but do not provide any clinical care.

Although the practice has ancient origins, the modern doula movement began in the US in the 1970s and private doulas, hired by mothers (often for extortionate prices), have been popular in certain parts of the UK for some time. A recent Oxford study focused instead on volunteer doulas, trained by third-sector organisations.

After interviewing 19 doulas and 16 mothers who had received their support, the authors concluded that they can play an important role in improving women’s birth experiences by offering continuous, empowering, female-focused support that complements the role of midwives, particularly where the mothers are disadvantaged.

Perhaps it’s not such a bad idea after all.” The part of this piece that triggered me, was the ” often for extortionate prices” comment. Nothing could be further from the truth. When I left a prestigious career in science to become a doula (you can read why I did that here ), I also left behind a salary over 40K, regular and predictable working hours, and job security.

• I did this to follow a calling, something that pulled at my heart, the deep need to support women through birth and make a difference to their experience.
• I sure didn’t do it for the money! I started as a new mentored doula ( Doula UK, the association of doulas in the UK, has a strict mentoring process in place, which means that new doulas called themselves mentored doulas, and usually charge lower fees to reflect this, until their mentor feels that they have acquired enough experience and can become recognised doulas), charging £250 for a birth.

When I wrote my first blog post, after 2 years as a doula, I was still not earning enough to pay tax. Now, 5 years down the line, I only just paid my first tax bill. And this wasn’t because of my doula work, this was because of my other hats, in particular the fact that I teach workshops.

• Most of us have “side jobs” to complement our income, because it is very difficult to make a decent living at a doula.5 years down the line, I am still quite far from earning what I earned as a scientist.
• Doulas charge as little as £300 to as much as £3000 for a birth.
• On average, most of the recognised doulas I know charge between £600 and £1000 for a birth.

My birth fee now starts at £950. What does this include? This includes several antenatal meetings (those tend to be at least a couple of hours each), and unlimited support on the phone/email, accompanying clients to medical appointments etc. Whilst I offer a system with a set number of appointments, I find that I cannot restrict my support when a woman needs it.

• For example, I have been supporting a woman pregnant with twins, there have been many complications to her pregnancy, and I have attended well over 10 appointments with her.
• I am also in contact with her several times a week.
• It takes a lot of headspace, and I am more than happy to do it, but, with this in mind, it is easy to understand why I feel so rattled by the accusation of money grabbing.

At 38 weeks, I go “on-call” until the baby is born. This can be a week, 2 weeks, or up to a month or more. The majority of my clients are first time mothers, and on average they tend to birth beyond 40 weeks (last year, one of my clients birthed at 43 weeks so I was on call for 5 weeks). During this time, I need to be able to leave everything and go to my client at very short notice when she goes into labour, at any hour of the day or night. I (like most of the doulas I know) have young children so this means complex, multilayered backup childcare arrangements, sometimes including at night (which cost money).

1. Whilst on call, my phone is always with me (I even bring my phone to the side of the pool whilst going for a morning swim so I can check half ways through that she hasn’t called).
2. I cannot go anywhere more than an hour away from home.
3. I do not drink alcohol, and I always tell everybody I have made plans with that I’ll come “unless I’m at a birth”.

This also means that there is a lot of pressure on my family and social life, as births have to take precedent over almost everything. This means always knowing that I may not make important family events, like birthdays or other celebrations (yes even your kids).

My husband and I rarely go out and I have had to cancel a rare evening out more than once as I was called to a birth. Being on call makes us lose “brownie points” with our friends and family – who as much as they try and understand it, still find it stressful. I remember once during a difficult on call period (my client was a repeat client and her first birth had been very traumatic, and I was very invested emotionally in making sure this didn’t happen again), my parents were visiting and my mum said “you’re not there”-meaning I was physically present, but mentally, I was with my client.

The on call period, up to 30 days, 24h a day. This can mean a total of 720h or more. When on call we also tell all our other clients, including the ones who have hired us for postnatal support, that we may need to cancel at short notice. Of course, when we get called to a birth, it also means that we lose out on the money we would have earned for supporting other people that day.

Then there is the birth. Many of my clients are first time mothers, and it’s quite normal for a first birth to take anything between 24h and 48h. One year, all the births I attended were between 30 and 40h long (that’s the length of time I was with my client). The shortest birth I have ever attended was about 3h long, but I was there for 6h because I always want to make sure the mother is settled and her baby feeding well etc before I leave.

The longest was 4 days (a long induction). Then after the birth I make a postnatal visit (again at least a couple of hours), and I am available for 6 weeks for unlimited email and phone support. New mothers contact me for support, for example when feeding isn’t going well, and I do everything I can to help them.

I put no limits on the hours I spent doing this. This means many unseen hours talking to them, sending them links, and signposting them to other professionals. For example, last year when my nephew’s daughter was born, and they had problem with breastfeeding, I couldn’t support them myself because they lived too far, I spent a couple of hours late at night, when I should have been in bed.

contacting my network of doulas, until I found a breastfeeding counsellor who was able to visit them the next day. We doulas constantly pull incredible feats like this because we’re all very passionate in supporting women. Many of us have discussed this in the past, and found that when we break down the hours spent on average with our clients, it usually works out at less than the minimum wage per hour.

To top this, up, I personally only take 6 to 7 birth clients a year. This is because being on call in an intense, emotionally demanding time, and I have suffered burn out in the past and learnt that I need to keep the Christmas, Easter half Term and the last 2 weeks of August free for relaxing time with my family in an absolute requirement.

Because I make a strong commitment to my client to be available for her, I also almost never take clients with overlapping on call times. This means turning clients down, or working as a shared-care team with another doula, splitting the fee in half. Most of the doulas I know do the same.

So if you imagine taking on a maximum of 12 clients a year, even at my fee of £950, this only makes an annual income of £11400 before tax (and doesn’t take account of all the other expenses associated with this job, like travel, hospital parking fees, etc). Even the rare, top of the range doulas, who charge £2 to £3K, assuming they took on a birth client every month, would be looking at earning between 24 and 36 000 a year.

Hardly a six figure salary. And let’s not forget that Doula UK has an access fund, which allows women in personal or financial hardship to access the services of a doula for free. The doula, in this situation, only gets paid expenses. I have done this myself, and so have most of my colleagues.

I love my job, I love supporting women, I love making a difference, seeing the transformation that true, unconditional support does, especially when women have had a traumatic first birth, and end up with a positive, empowering one with doula support. I wouldn’t go back to my previous job for anything in the world.

The value of a doula, how transformative and life changing it can be for many women, goes well beyond how much we charge, and most of our clients, after they’ve been doulaed, feel that our support was worth a lot more than what they paid for. You can read some of the testimonials my clients have written about I supported them at the bottom of this page.

Are doulas better than midwives?

When birth gets complicated, the roles of a midwife and a doula are clear. – Should complications arise while you are giving birth, your midwife will be focused on maintaining you and your baby’s physical health. Your doula will provide physical comfort, emotional support, and information.

Can doula be a side hustle?

It’s a question we get all the time here at Doula School. When starting out as a doula it’s important to plan out your financial future. Where do you want to be in a year, 5 years, even 10 years you’re your career as a birth worker. Your income as a doula can vary depending on several factors.

In today’s post we are going to break down what you need to know. What is the average hourly rate for a birth doula in the United States? Using Zip Recruiter we can see that the average hourly rate for a doula in the United States is close to $27 an hour. Not all doula services are charged by the hour however, so this figure is more of an estimate.

Additionally, the hourly rate for a postpartum doula working as overnight support can be considerably higher. Can I work as a doula full-time? Many birth workers have made a doula career their full-time profession. In that case they will aim for 2-3 births per month.

Additionally, they may supplement that income by working as a Lamaze teacher, childbirth educator, prenatal yoga instructoretc The nature of doula work also makes it a great option as a “side hustle” or part-time work. Some doulas will only take on a single birth per month, as an additional income source on top of another line of work.

How much would I charge for a birth doula package? Most birth doulas will offer their services in a package deal that includes 2 prenatal visits, attending the birth, 1 postpartum visit, and ongoing support through phone/text/email. The value of this package can vary between $900 and $1500 depending on where you live. What is the hourly rate for a postpartum doula or overnight doula? A overnight doula is a postpartum doula who will assist parents overnight. This is a key service in helping new parents adjust to having a newborn in the home. The rate for overnight support is higher than for a birth doula, and can range from $30 to $50 per hour.

1. What overhead costs should I expert as a doula? Your costs as a doula will vary depending on if you work independently or as part of a larger firm.
2. Some costs to consider are 1) access to transit or a vehicle for visiting clients 2) keeping an up-to-date doula bag 3) continuing education and certificates to stay up-to-date in the field.

Overall, your finances as a doula will have a lot of flexibility. We have seen doulas that only do a couple births a year for friends and family and may earn under $3000 a year. Whereas others have made it their full-time job and earn upwards of $80,000 annually.,

Are doulas worth the money?

Is a doula for me? – If you think you might want or need additional support and coaching in the delivery room, a doula could be a good choice for you. And if you have your heart set on a specific birth plan, a doula can be a good option because she’ll be your advocate if you’re having a hard time fighting for yourself.

• Doulas are usually trained to support all kinds of births.
• Families who want to try “natural births” (meaning without medication) are sometimes more likely to hire a doula, but doulas are there to support you no matter what your decisions are about pain medication and other aspects of labor.
• If you’re not the type to want someone cheering you on every step of the way — and you don’t feel the need to have extra support in the delivery room outside of your medical team and your support partner — then you may not want or need a doula.

What’s more, since hospitals may limit labor and delivery guest lists, a doula can step in for other family members (like mothers and in-laws) if necessary.

How old are most doulas?

Doula Age

Why doula is so amazing?

Read below for more information about the role of birth and postpartum doulas! – They nurture, support and offer expert guidance for families during their pregnancy, birth and the early postpartum time. There is incredible evidence that shows how birth doulas improve outcomes! According to a 2017 Cochrane Database Systematic Review, “Continuous support in labor may improve a number of outcomes for both and baby, and no adverse outcomes have been identified. Position ideas for comfort and labor progression cross over with hands-on comfort measures like comforting touch, counter pressure, breathing techniques and other “doula magic” for families. A doula’s skilled hands and positioning tools can often help a malpositioned baby find its way through the pelvis and into the birthing parent’s arms.

Doulas help families to feel supported, easing the emotional experience of birth and also helping to create a space where the hormones of labor can work at their best. Whether a birth is completely unmedicated or medically very complex, every family can benefit from nurturing and connection at this tender, incredible time in their lives.

Whether it’s a romantic partner, a friend or another family member like the baby’s grandma, the birth partner’s experience matters in birth. Our doulas are there to support every birth partner in being as involved as they’d like with the birth. Physical and emotional support make a huge difference for everyone involved.

1. DONA International doulas are trained to help families connect with evidence-based resources so they can ask great questions and make informed decisions about their births.
2. Our doulas serve as a bridge of communication between their client and their providers, lifting them up to help them find their voices and advocate for the very best care.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine The transition into new parenthood can be vulnerable, and postpartum doulas are experts in emotional support, active listening and encouraging their clients to follow their own hearts.

• Empathy, a hug or even a good laugh together can do so much for a new parent! Postpartum doulas are trained to understand what new babies – and new parents – truly need.
• The doula helps with soothing techniques, offers lactation or bottle feeding support, and explains normal newborn behavior and postpartum recovery expectations.

It’s all hands on deck with a new baby, and postpartum doulas can help the days go by more smoothly by helping with the baby’s laundry, doing the dishes or preparing simple, nourishing meals. A new baby means transition for everyone, including parents, grandparents and little brothers and sisters. : Benefits of a Doula

What are the limitations of a doula?

Limitations of Doula Practice A doula does not give medical advice or perform any medical tasks. While it is beneficial for a doula to be knowledgeable about medical procedures, her job is not to make decisions for the client.

What is another name for a doula?

Role – A doula focused on birth is also known as birth companion, nonclinical birth worker, birth coach or post-birth supporter, by providing continuous care before, during, or after in the form of information, advocacy, physical support, and emotional support.

1. A birth doula is also called a labor doula.
2. A birth doula may accompany a pregnant woman during labor and birth in place of or in addition to a partner, family member or friend.
3. Unlike these other birth companions, a doula has formal training in labor support.
4. The kinds of support provided during childbirth may include physical assistance and comfort (massage, maintaining a supporting posture or providing water), emotional support (providing company, encouragement or simply talking in a soothing tone of voice), acting as an advocate during childbirth (supporting the birthing woman’s right to make decisions about their own body and baby to the medical team) and informational support (provide information about the birthing process and non-medication based forms of pain relief, and facilitating communication between their client and health providers).

Most doula-client relationships begin a few months before the baby is due. Before the labor, the doula and the family can develop a relationship where the pregnant woman and their support person (for example the father of the baby) feel free to ask questions and express fears and concerns, and discuss birth preferences.

Is doula same as nanny?

What is the difference between a night nanny and a doula? – While a night nanny performs basic caregiving tasks more like a babysitter, a doula is specifically trained to care for both the baby and the parent. Doulas might perform tasks like:

Lactation support and advice Postpartum mood and mental health consultations and referrals Postpartum physical recovery assistance Infant soothing Infant feeding resources and advice Infant’s physical and emotional recovery from birth Newborn care Coping skills for siblings and other family members

According to Jada Shapiro, postpartum doula and founder of boober, a service connecting parents with postpartum doulas, the doula is more involved with the family than a nanny. Of course, not everyone needs this full range of services, and some might simply need a night nanny if they are seeking someone to help with feeding and changing throughout the night.

What does doula stand for?

What Is a Doula? – The definition of a doula is a person trained to advise, inform, and offer emotional and physical comfort to a mother before, during, and after the birth of her child. The word doula comes from the Greek word doulē, the meaning of which translates to female helper or maidservant.

What kind of doula makes the most money?

1) How much are you going to work? – Remember, babies come any time of the day or night. They do not respect weekends. So you have to ask yourself if you want to take on 3 births in the middle of the night every single week. For most people, this is really challenging and not sustainable.

You may also be looking to work as a doula part-time. This is very common. Whether you are a stay at home mom or a college student, being a part-time doula is a rewarding way to help women and earn some income on the side. This may mean averaging only one client per month on a part time basis or only two or three births an entire year.

Full time doulas can definitely can earn much more than a part-time doula. Based on your availability and client load, top doulas in major cities like New York City or Chicago can make as much as $2,000 per birth. Realistically, a full time doula charging $2,000 per birth can earn more than $100,000 a year.

What is the highest salary for a doula?

As of Jun 26, 2023, the average hourly pay for a Doula in California is $25.03 an hour. While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $34.16 and as low as $12.22, the majority of Doula salaries currently range between $19.47 (25th percentile) to $24.95 (75th percentile) in California.

Are doulas covered by NHS?

Doulas provide continuous support for the whole family through pregnancy, birth and in the early days of parenthood. Filling a role that new parents and families have always needed, we are there to listen, give confidence and not judge. Offering flexible, practical and emotional support in homes as well as in hospitals throughout the UK.

Download our Doula UK leaflet which can be viewed, printed or displayed for parents in the following languages: Doula UK Leaflet – English Doula UK Leaflet – Espagne Doula UK Leaflet – Francais Doula UK Leaflet – Polski Doula UK Leaflet – Português Doula UK – Italiano A Doula UK doula will have completed Doula UK approved training or alternative pathway modules for experienced doulas and birthworkers.

They will have completed or be completing a rigourous mentoring and recognition process and will adhere to Doula UK code of conduct and philosophy policies. The majority of doulas are employed directly by the parent or parents they are working with. There are a small number of NHS employed doulas and a number of voluntary schemes and projects as well as social services funded doula work.

• Doula UK also runs the Doula Access Fund which provides free birth or postnatal doula support to those in greater need and who cannot afford to access doula support.
• A wide variety of women, parents and families from different communities, with different needs and planning all kinds of birth hire doulas.

We work with new parents who make a diverse range of parenting choices and believe there is a doula out there for everyone. While doulas are not there to change outcomes there is evidence that having a birth or postnatal doula brings a number of tangible benefits. From reducing intervention rates, shortening labour and improving the condition of babies at birth.

What do you need to be a doula in California?

Medi-Cal Program Requirements for Doulas – All doulas must be at least 18 years old at the time the application is submitted, provide proof of an adult and infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification from the American Red Cross or American Heart Association, and attest they have completed basic Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) training.

How long does it take to become a doula in the UK?

Details: –

Courses facilitated by traditional doulas, each with over 20 years experience with in person and online options available as set out below. Five day in person intensive courses in Cornwall, Glastonbury, London, Brighton and abroad, some with residential options. Groups can contact us directly for courses in their location. Twelve week online doula training includes Birth, Postnatal and TIDE (Trauma Informed Doula Education) learning. Six week online Full Immersion Postnatal doula training An invitation to join the Conscious Birthing Network and receive peer support online and personal support from one of our tutors. Fun, informative and multi-media, within a rich, relaxed learning environment. Small, confidential groups, creating a mutually supportive and in-depth approach. Highlighting the traditional role of birthkeeper/doula and reflecting on this grassroots path within a modern day context. Exploring the value of presence in a fast moving world, and developing tools for conscious, active listening. An opportunity to begin to reflect on our own pregnancy, birth and postpartum stories within a safe space, gently held by tutors and co-supported by each individual within the group: creating an opportunity to both practise the art of support during birth debriefing, an essential doula skill, to begin to lovingly unpack your own story and to experience the gift of being deeply heard. A truly holistic approach, including all medical and alternative models: waterbirth, homebirth, birth centre, hospital, assisted, freebirth and early parenting choices all covered, alongside the protocols and expectations within the institution of maternal care, with the focus on informed choice. Exploring human rights within the childbearing year: looking at ways in which to incorporate our human rights into a birth plan, to inform your families of these when making their informed choices and discussing ways in which to communicate human rights to midwives and consultants. Including a session on ‘Tools for Self-Reliance’: a fun, physical and informative journey, learning the practise of some ancient skills from around the world, to facilitate the empowerment of women during this sacred rite of passage. Integrated and in-depth inclusion of how to support and empower fathers/partners-to-be and to work alongside all potential companions during labour and birth. Guidance on working alongside healthcare professionals with grace whilst retaining clear boundaries as an advocate for your family-to-be. Looking at loss: a discussion on the many ways in which families can potentially experience loss, such as loss of expectation, or through miscarriage or stillbirth, and including signposting for us to pass on and peer support for us to lean on. Postnatal session: learn about breastfeeding, explore the essential need for postpartum care and discuss the notion of a postnatal plan. Experience a pop-up residential community of Birthworkers-to-be: a unique opportunity to spend time together in an informal setting, allowing for deeper reflection on the role, sharing questions, ideas and skills, alongside your tutors. Time for relaxation, massage from top practitioners, swimming and spending time in the sun (when abroad or in British Summertime) with the emphasis on connecting with nature and experiencing the power of self-nurture: initiating the value of ongoing self-care and peer support within our field. An invitation to delve more deeply into this lay tradition, whilst retreating from your everyday life. Advice and guidance for setting up and ethically marketing your Doula practice, including a step-by-step talk through the Doula UK recognition process, on finding a Mentor, the code of conduct, various schemes available and how both Doula UK’s and your own expectations might be met. Useful home research, networking and reflective reference pack, with guidance for signposting. Certificate of attendance upon completion. Home study post course work pack, with plenty of time to complete in your own time and with full tutor support. Online recommended reading list. Access to an extensive lending library (when courses held in Glastonbury). Options for further training. (This course is a foundation for Conscious Birthing’s Childbirth Educator/Antenatal teacher programme). Back to top

What is doula training?

Course objectives This doula training will cover the theory of anatomy and hormonal activity during pregnancy labour and birth along with hands-on training on how to support early labour at home and in hospital, how to support active labour, how to support birthing a baby both vaginally and via c birth.

What is the job description of a doula?

Why We Love It –

• $24,950 Potential Avg. Salary
• Growing Demand Job Outlook
• Flexible Hours Career Attribute

Doulas are non-medical professionals that provide emotional support to expecting mothers and help with the deliveries of babies. They counsel pregnant women, help them choose between birthing options, assist with deliveries, teach Lamaze courses, and help new mothers learn to breastfeed.

What does a doula do?

What is a doula? – A doula is a trained, non-medical companion who assists a woman before, during and after childbirth. A doula provides support and advocacy, mediating between the woman and her maternity-care providers, They also serve as advocates and a ‘voice’ for the mother if she feels she needs it.