The average fee for birth doula services in Rochester is around $1,000. The average fee for postpartum doula support is around $30-35/hour.
When a doula sets their fee, they take into account the following:
- Unlimited text, email and phone support throughout time of contract
- Prenatal and postpartum visits
- On call access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from 38 weeks until baby is 1-2 weeks old
- Length of the birth - while some may only be a few hours, they can stretch to a few days
- Childcare costs, travel fees, administrative and business costs, etc.
- Amount of time and money invested in professional development to enhance skills
There is a misconception that newer doulas can offer their services for free. However, to create a sustainable work environment and situation for themselves, each doula often decides to establish at least a minimal fee in order to cover the basic costs of doing this work.
If you are concerned about paying the fee for doula support services, please consider the following:
- What items could you sell, or could you host a garage sale, to cover the cost?
- Could you put doula support on your shower registry?
- Do you or your family members have any services that could be exchanged for a portion of the fee?