r/doulas

I have been drawn to doula work for a long time, but only now starting to think more seriously about it. Wondering if it would be too hard while I am still building my own family (but also the family is a big motivation to even do it).

Context: I work full time and have a 1 year old baby. I would like to have baby #2 at some point in the next 2-4 years (timeline TBD)

I am thinking postpartum doula first, and maybe expanding into birth doula down the road when I'm done having my own kids. Now seems like potentially a good time to start. My thought is that I'll do it as a side hustle for a while (probably until I get pregnant with #2, whenever that may be), get some experience and positive reviews, and then at some point (probably after baby #2 is done BFing) I will quit my full time job and doula will become my primary income.

Some of my thoughts / concerns are...

Part of the draw to this is that I could work odd hours like nights and evenings and save on daycare. I think we'd still need part time daycare but that would still save a lot compared to full time. I don't need to make as much as i do in my current job if we are saving significantly on daycare. Is this schedule realistic as a postpartum doula?

It seems like the main demand for postpartum doulas is night shift. Will I totally hate doing night shift and then coming home and dealing with young kids? I definitely wouldn't plan to do night shift full time, but maybe a couple nights a week?

Any experiences, advice, anecdotes, etc are welcome...​

Hello, my wife is pregnant for first time and considering getting a Doula to help us with the pregnancy journey. She’s only 5 weeks pregnant.

We live 5m away from her mom so we have a lot of support thankfully. Would yall recommend a Doula based on your experience?

I’ve heard postpartum doulas are better and more worth it but we are open to either. Just want this experience to be as smooth/stress for her as possible. She’s a worrier

Hi everyone! My wife and I are currently looking for a doula on Long Island and would love some recommendations from anyone who has had a great experience. We’re looking for someone experienced, supportive, knowledgeable, and who will be a calming presence throughout the pregnancy and birth process. Personal recommendations would be especially appreciated!

If you’re a doula yourself, or know someone you highly recommend, please feel free to comment or send me a message with their information. Thank you!

Hi all,

I’m thinking of making a career change to becoming a postpartum doula and I’m in very beginning stages. I’d really love to do a couple of informational interviews with doulas who have been in this field for a while. Would especially love to chat with folks for whom this was a career change!

I’m in California but can chat over Zoom or phone if that’s easiest. Shouldn’t take more than 20-30 minutes and I would be so grateful for your time!

Hi everyone!

I’m currently looking for a well-trained, experienced doula in the Fort Lauderdale/Broward area and would love recommendations or to hear from doulas directly.

I’m particularly looking for someone who:
- Has solid training and experience supporting birthing mothers
- Is comfortable working in a hospital setting and alongside doctors, nurses, and the medical team
- Takes a collaborative approach and can advocate for the birthing person while respecting the care team
- Offers prenatal support and education
- Offers postpartum support as well, if possible
- May offer prenatal classes, group classes, or group sessions where I could learn and connect with other expecting parents
- Has experience with a variety of birth preferences and can provide calm, evidence-based support without being overly prescriptive

I’m open to different doula styles and would love to hear about your experience, services, availability, and pricing. Recommendations from people who have personally worked with a doula in the Fort Lauderdale/Broward area are especially appreciated!

So I have Tricare, which covers a doula for my birth. I have a lot of medical anxiety and figured it would be a great free through insurance service to have.

Boy am I dumb.

There’s only one doula in network near me. I thought, cool, I can get pregnancy support and delivery and postpartum advocacy. She had me sign a contract that said if she was not informed of birth and missed it because of me, she’d be entitled to $2k.

Early on she didn’t respond much and I was saying things like I’m scared I’ll be forced to deliver in a way I don’t want to, and instead of giving me reassurance, she said I should see a therapist. At that point, due to her unresponsiveness and lack of care, I decided maybe she wasn’t a good fit and told her I’d like to part ways.

That’s when she hit me with, “you signed a contract so you owe me $2k.” So I said ok, fine you can still be my doula I guess. I should’ve told her to fuck off but I was desperate against better judgment for whatever shred of comfort I could get on delivery day. Mind you, tricare prohibits charges for unrendered services.

The thing is, halfway through my pregnancy she was not communicating much. At 28 weeks I sent her a message I’d update my next scan and she never responded. 3 weeks went by and I figured she was busy with other clients and forgot about me. I blocked her at that point and figured if she wanted to be my doula, she’d email me.

Tonight I am HEAVILY painfully pregnant and 37 weeks exactly. I got an email saying she was sending the $2k balance to collections in 30 days due to lack of communication. So I blew up her phone, inbox, voicemail, everything because what??? I wanted a doula and she ghosted and then finally this is how she gets back to me? She also had changed her services on her website from pregnancy and postpartum doula to only supports 37 weeks+.

I really wanted patient advocacy and emotional relief for me and my husband but it seems like this doula just wants a quick buck and loves stressing me out. My husband is livid and seeking legal guidance tomorrow to fire her because I don’t think she can charge a balance for getting fired and send that to collections regardless of a private contract or not since she’s under federal Tricare regs.

So I guess I’ll be disputing a collections agency sometime postpartum. Doulas out there, is this normal or probably an empty threat? I definitely feel at fault for not feeling her out better and seeing how this could snowball when I thought I was just getting a nice free service through insurance to ease my mind.

This is for the future! I’m interested to know if anyone has taken this path and currently does both! Obviously nursing is a paid job and volunteer doula is unpaid plus utilizing your free time.
Background: During nursing school, I absolutely loved my maternity rotations especially labor and delivery. Seeing an individual bring a child into this world was surreal and being invited into the space was truly an honor. It’s a beautiful experience yet the workflow is not for me at all hence why I’m in the ICU. I love the hyper-acute environment that the ICU offers and critical care is my ultimate interest.

I would love to know if anyone is actively doing both and any insight from both doulas and nurses! Thank you!

Doula in training here.

Im currently training as a birth doula, but plan to aquire other certifications as I go, such as post partum doula, lactation specialist, and childbirth educator.

If I were to work all of these, I would probably only take one, maybe two births a month, with some months off (let me know what is realistic). I would offer CBE classes, both one on one and for my local community. I would plan to take on a couple post partum clients and lactation appointments.

Is this too much? Even if I am going slowly, and establishing myself in one thing before moving onto the next?

My main question is earning potential! If I was a birth worker full time doing these things, how much could I expect to make?

I would love any advice from any experienced doulas. Thank you!

hi everyone! i took a full spectrum doula training (virtual) back in april and feel kinda lost on where to go from there. i understand ill need to find my niche and my program told us not to think mentorship is possible since this is such a sacred, private practice, but i dont think i can confidently begin this work without it. curious if there’s anyone in the LA area willing to mentor? or point me in the right direction.

If you had a doula, for birth and/or postpartum, what would you like to receive from them in a little gift at your parting? Hair clip? Electrolyte packets? I need ideas!

hi everyone! i’m looking to become doula certified and have no idea where to start! do any of you have recommendations on programs? i’m looking for virtual or hybrid training! thank you so much in advance!

Vancouver Washington