Doula how many clients per month

I cannot take weekend trips away from the area, and even day trips to the spa or the mountains have to be judiciously chosen. The on-call lifestyle contributes greatly to doula burnout, as living your life with the possibility that at any moment, you might called to a birth for 24 or more hours is very difficult.

But the financial reward for this? Experience Factor — When I step into a birth, I bring not only my heart and hands and training, but my experience from over births and continual research on subjects relating to birth. As a doula and educator, I must keep up-to-date on the latest studies, procedures, protocols, and policies surrounding birth and area hospitals and providers.

Did you know that doctors, midwives, and nurses usually only know their way of doing things? As a doula, I see the variations from hospital to hospital, between care providers, and over time. Being able to work with many different care providers, I learn all their different approaches and tricks, which I think is unique to the doula profession.

And considering that every birth and every family teaches me something new, I have a wealth of knowledge and skills to bring to birth. But every doula should be able to make a decent living as a doula without making her life unbearable.

I wish I could offer my services at a rate than everyone can afford, but that would require that I make even greater financial sacrifices than I am already making to do this work. I am a self-supporting professional, and my options are to earn a living wage working with birth or to have a more conventional job, which would pay much more.

When I came home from work that day, I researched doulas and signed up for training. That was more than 24 years ago and I still love being a doula as much as I did when I saw my first birth. There are many wonderful doctors and midwives in the greater Los Angeles area, with new ones arriving and starting or joining existing practices all the time. If you have a care provider with whom we have not worked, we are happy to attend a prenatal visit with you to meet him or her.

Doula FAQ. What if I get an epidural? I'm interested in hiring a doula -- what's the next step? How can I choose the right doula? How many clients do you take each month?

I take no more than 4 clients per month, but can and have attended 8 births in a month without missing any. That leaves room in my schedule for former clients who are having another baby and for last minute clients who suddenly find themselves in need of a doula. Can I meet your backups? You are welcome to interview several doulas from the group, either by phone or in person. How much does it cost?

We are happy to help you find a doula who meets your price requirements. We can sometimes help you find a brand new doula who charges just enough to cover her expenses gas, parking, childcare, etc.

Please see What Does a Doula Cost for more detailed information. What does that money pay for? Do you offer childbirth education classes? Do you have children? Intangible costs, like being on call continuously, missing out on vacations, birthdays, holidays, and other special events is something every doula goes through.

Almost half of your doula fee will go to business expenses such as gas to and from meetings and births, cell phone usage, babysitters, training and certification, professional memberships, websites, marketing, and other things. You want to set your fee to cover all of these things and then what you want to take away.

Being a new doula, fresh out of training, can be intimidating. It is hard to know where to start, especially if you are not connected with other birth workers in your area. Here are some ways to start connecting with your community and potential clients, as you begin your doula career:. Word of mouth is one of the biggest ways I get new clients, but some simple marketing and promotion can go a long way.

Make a Facebook business page, get a profile on doulamatch. As you get to know more experienced doulas in your area, you can ask them to refer clients to you who might not be able to afford a doula with a higher fee. Being a doula is one of the best jobs in the world! It can be hard knowing the intricacies of VBAC and how to navigate through them as a doula. After you have the basic training to start your doula career under your belt, make sure to enrol! Hi, I'm Julie Francom , and my goal is to help you feel educated and informed about birth after Cesarean.

I am a mom of four, computer geek, Army vet, and a small-town girl just trying to change the world! This was very informative I will definitely peruse my career as a doula!

I will get it done. Thank you for sharing this. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Published on: July 8, For me, it was worth it. Doula job description Childbirth coach, birth attendant, birth companion, there are many different ways to describe what a doula is. Here are the top ten things that stand out to me about doula work: 1. It keeps me on my toes and humbles me. What could be better than helping parents enter motherhood, fatherhood, and parenthood?

My kids get to learn about birth. Flexible hours and workload The hours and workload are flexible in my doula career. Sometimes, birth can be traumatic. Building lifelong relationships Most of my clients become my friends and I enjoy following them and their babies throughout their lives. Hidden doula ninja skills I bust out my hidden doula ninja skills on almost everyone.

The doula job outlook Education Requirements None. Doulas are not medical professionals, so certification is entirely voluntary. Many clients, however, will not hire a doula without certification and training from a well-established professional doula organization. Job Skills Childbirth education, emotional support, physical assistance and care, planning, motivation, and teamwork.

Doula Salary PayScale. Job Outlook U.