Are doulas worth their prices?

If you are pregnant or looking to get pregnant someone may have brought up the notion of hiring a doula. Many blogs, Facebook posts and even IG reels are tempting you to get a doula OR stay away from them! As a doula you might think I'm biased but as a mom who hired a doula for myself for both of my births, I'm going to share with you WHY I hired a doula and WHAT you get when you hire a doula. 

I'm the kind of person that needs data, I'm a scientist so that's not unusual. I took a childbirth class to gain more knowledge of the birthing process and to share that knowledge with my husband who was also very clueless about our first pregnancy. Back then (over 23 years ago) I wasn't fully aware of the maternal mortality issues for Black women, but I did know that my sister suffered a morbidity during her pregnancy. So that more than motivated me to ensure I was empowered and had the best resources for advocacy. Now, I'm going to admit that I was privileged to afford classes and a doula. But it wasn't just privilege, it was a necessity for me. I had a basic backyard baby shower that a friend threw for me, I never had a gender reveal party (those weren't the thing yet) and I didn't go on a babymoon. I saved my pennies for the things that mattered most to me during my pregnancy, education and support!

Let's talk about the worth of doulas. We can reduce the need for a cesarean by 25%, we can reduce the need for Pitocin by 30%, reduce the need for pain medication by 10%, and we can increase positive birth experience ratings by 30%. How do we do this...by providing continuous support and birth knowledge. Let's face it, many doctors do not equip their patients with the knowledge of physiologic birth. Just think about the details of your prenatal visits with your provider. Are you spending more time in the waiting room than in front of your doctor? Are all of your questions answered? Do you walk out feeling empowered about your birth choices? Do you even know ALL of your birth choices and options?

Here comes your doula. They can provide childbirth education classes if they are certified to do this. But they can certainly provide you with the ins and out of labor in layman's terms so that you feel confident about your discussions with your provider. That's the information part! The next piece is helping to set you up for success and whatever that means for YOU! Helping to create and review your birth plan with evidence-based information and realistic expectations based on your circumstances. Setting aside time for your questions as they arise and mitigating any previous trauma or stress. The labor starts with constant phone calls or texts to your doula and perhaps even home support in active labor, ensuring that you arrive in time to the birth space for your desired outcomes. Amplifying YOUR voice in YOUR birth space! Making sure you are seen, heard and respected! Honoring that sacred nature of birth and bringing all of your culture and rituals that you hold dear along for the ride. Your baby is here, and your doula support does not end at this point. Immediate postpartum care is critical to transitioning to parenthood and welcoming of baby outside the womb. Your doula is by your side after witnessing this miracle by guiding you into your new role. Nursing or formula feeding support is there for you too. Postpartum care, maintenance and in-home support planning can be centered. Creating this new space for your family. Serving you and your partner! 

What is all of that worth to you? To me, it was millions! The empowerment, trust, love and care that I received during the hardest work of my life left me whole. My husband was amazing for sure; however, my doula was for him too! He was nurtured and set up for success in ways he did not know he needed. 

Birth Doula fees will vary depending on geographical location, skill set and experience. These fees are decided with the idea of what it takes to prepare a person for labor, continuous labor support and postpartum closure. Transportation, tolls, parking, babysitters, supplies and back-up doulas all need to be allocated. Most doulas are UNDERPAID because this is a service industry, and many folks are led to believe that we are just magical angels who don't need to eat or sleep in a warm home nor support our families. 

We help you find the strength you did not know you had, we bring out the innate birthing wisdom that was there all along and we get to know you so that you feel secure and safe along the way.
My doula was worth her weight in gold to me! I strive to be worth my weight in rubies to my clients! 

Free consultations are always available. Check out the doula services page for the link to schedule yours. 
​We can't wait to serve you!