Yoselin This post is about learning how much is a doula and whether or not they are worth their cost.
It is not until you are pregnant that you start to realize, many women who are parents do not know much about birth itself.
From old midwives advice to something their best friend’s cousin’s mom told them, there are a lot of unknowns and speculations surrounding pregnancy.
Then you go to your OB during pregnancy for your routine check-ups, and most of the times, they don’t have any real advice for any issues or questions you may have. The response always seems to be: It’s normal to feel that during pregnancy.
While I admit it may be common to experience certain symptoms, it does not mean they are normal and nothing can be done about it.
Then comes birth and we are being told to go through unnecessary intervention after intervention, which many times results in an emergency c-section. Yup. We need more support to make educational decisions surrounding our pregnancy and birth.
This is where a doula comes in. My partner dubbed our doula as our birth coach.
How Much is a Doula? Is It Worth It?
This article is perfect for the pregnant person looking into having additional support throughout their pregnancy and especially during birth.
I go over what a doula is, the cost of a doula, what services doulas offer, as well as how to find a doula near you.
What is a Doula?
Doulas of North America (DONA) defines a doula as “a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to their client before, during and shortly after childbirth to help them achieve the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible.” (Source)
Many doulas go through the DONA certification to gain their level of expertise surrounding pregnancy and birth.
A doula is typically there for you throughout your pregnancy to help support your birth plan and once labor begins, many doulas will be there with you helping you labor (whether that’s at home or at the hospital).
Hospitals also recognize doulas as professionals and are allowed to go in with you and your partner.
In the midst of COVID, we had our daughter in 2022, so we were only allowed one person to go to the hospital room with me. But I actually had two people, my doula and my partner.
My doula also provided me guidance throughout my stay and never pressured me to make a decision. Doulas simply advice you on whether an intervention is needed based on your birth plan.
What Services Do Doulas Offer?
According to DONA, doulas offer physical support, emotional support, and partner support.
This means that doulas help pregnant women relax and provide comfort during birth. This can mean providing breathing techniques or helping mom position the baby in an adequate position for birth.
An added benefit of having a doula is that, as my doula explained to me, they are not there to take the role of my partner, but to actually let them shine by guiding them to assist me, the pregnant person.
As for actual services, there are two different types of doulas: Birth Doulas and Postpartum Doulas.
Birth doulas provide support during pregnancy and during birth, whereas postpartum doulas provide support as the family gets used to having a baby, this includes guidance on feeding, helping mom’s postpartum recovery, and advice on taking care of an infant.
Birth doulas can have additional services added into their package, such as:
- Being at the hospital with you for longer hours
- Additional postpartum visits
- Birth photography
- Placenta encapsulation
- Placenta art
- Birth chart readings
(Of course not every doula is going to offer these services, but these are just some that I have seen doulas offer.)
How Much is a Doula?
A doula’s price can range from $800 to $2,500.
Doulas can set their own prices, so not every doula is going to be the same price, even if they offer the exact same services.
Back in 2021 when I was searching for a doula, I saw that most of them were about $1,000. I paid my doula about that much and it came with placenta encapsulation. (Unfortunately, my placenta was not able to be consumed because I developed an infection during birth, so my doula wasn’t able to encapsulate it, so she gave me my refund of about $250.)
I also believe that depending on where you live, you can find doulas either inexpensive or expensive.
How To Find a Doula?
One of the more obvious one is to go through the DONA doula catalog: DONA Find a Doula.
I found my doula through Doula Match. I personally love this website because they show how far they are from you, their fee, certifications, social media platforms/website, availability, and whether they attend certain hospitals/birth centers in the area.
Another option is going through your local birth center and asking them for recommendations of any doulas in the area. Chances are pretty high because many doulas work closely to birth centers.
You could also go to said birth center’s Facebook page and see who they interact with or who interacts with them, many doulas and birth centers support each other’s businesses.
These is also the option of searching for a doula through Instagram. You can search something along the lines of “[name of city] Doula”.
How Much is a Doula? Is It Worth It?
A doula can be as inexpensive or as expensive as you want it to be, depending on which services you want.
Also, due to each doula having their individual fee, if you truly liked one doula but they may be a little out of your budget, you could also ask them if they have a more affordable option for you, maybe one with less prenatal visits, or less postpartum visits.
Nonetheless, if you are wondering if a doula is worth their cost, they 100% are. Doulas are, traditionally, women aiming to help and empower other women during birth, so they are willing to go the extra mile to help you get the birth that you deserve.
As a recommendation from my doula when I was pregnant, and if you are pregnant reading this, I recommend reading Why You Should See a Prenatal Chiropractor During Pregnancy next.
P.S. If you would like to know more about creating your own nursing cart, read more here: Nursing Cart Essentials.
Other Pregnancy Posts:
- Best Postpartum Care Package Ideas
- Best Board Books for Babies That They Will Love to Read
- Baby Registry Must Haves (Free Checklist Printable)
- How to Save Money on Baby Products
Other Posts You May Like:
- Everything You Need to Know About Using Newborn Cloth Diapers
- Can I Save Money with Cloth Diapers? Actual Cloth Diapers Cost
- Fixing Postpartum Hormone Imbalance After Childbirth & Breastfeeding
