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How do we set our fee?
The economics of professional labor support work are a mystery to many people; I offer this information so that you'll have a better idea of what you're paying for:
Hours -
Couples having a first baby may imagine that I'll only be spending a few hours with them during the labor and birth. In reality, an eight-hour labor would be considered pretty zippy; most first labors last longer than 16 hours. Average time spent with a woman for her labor and birth is about 14 hours. I spend another 8-10 hours in prenatal and postpartum meetings, and another hour or two in phone calls, emails, and possibly research for my clients.
Clients per Week -
When I make a commitment to be available to attend you in labor, I have to limit the number of clients I put on my calendar so as to avoid birth conflicts, to ensure that I am reasonably rested when you go into labor and to provide you with the services I promise. The rule of thumb for birth professionals providing in-home services is that one client per week is a full schedule. Since most of my clients are first-time mothers, I find that 2 clients per month is a full-time workload to dedicate myself completely to each family.
Putting It All Together-
In order for me to provide your family with the highest quality of care, I limit the amount of families I work with each month. I am available to serve you 24 hours a day for any assistance that may be needed. I meet with your family prior to your birth to build a relationship and to better understand the needs of each specific family. This will build a comfortable atmoshphere during the birth. As a private doula, As opposed to hospital based doula programs, I limit my number of clients per month so that we may meet once or twice before the birth and once after so that I may provide the highest quality of care.
Insurance -
This is a much debated area in labor support. Some insurance companies will reimburse you for service, some will not. You can talk with by your insurance company to find out if they cover labor support or doula services, I will be happy to provide you with a bill used to submit claims as well as receipts. I do not file insurance claims.
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