Do you think it was worth the money? Would you hire one again? I like the idea of a doula, but my local hospital only allows two other people in the room and I want my DH and mom with me.
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Yes. We didn't hire one the second time because I have fast labors and saw a midwifery group. She was great the first time though. It was nice to have someone there just for us who knew what was going on. We paid $600, but that was a steal for our area.
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Too much! I should have done more looking around in retrospect but just went with the one my OB recommended. I would not get another one next time, but that's probably because I didn't find her to be enormously helpful the first time around.
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I looked into it briefly. I think most were around $1,000. I wasn't willing to pay that much and knew I wanted an epidural so I didn't think a doula was worth the cost. DH was a great support person and he was free
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$400. Worth it the first time, will likely not do it again.
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$300, completely worth it for me. Wish I would have had one for my first birth, it might have gone differently (or maybe not?).
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Following/subscribing... Anyone in Seattle have any recommendations? I think I want one when I get pregnant.
@Leialou: Good question!
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I thought about it, but they run between $400-$700 here. I ended up not having a doula and I am glad I went without.
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$400 but she was completing her doula training. I was very happy to have her the first time but doubt I'll feel the need to get one the second time.
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$500. I regretted having a doula and wished I could have gone through it with just DH alone.
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$750 and worth every penny. And I say that even having ended up with a c-section. Will obviously not get one if we do a repeat c-section but wouldn't attempt a VBAC without her.
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Following ... and I'd love any recommendations if there is anyone in the Atlanta area who used one they liked!
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Regarding cost, I think if you do a little research you'll find there are doulas out there in every price range! There are new doulas or doulas in the midst of the certification process who will have reduced fees; there are doulas who offer packages, but might be willing to let you pick/choose/eliminate certain parts of the package to lower the price; there are doulas who work on a sliding scale; doulas who barter; and doulas who volunteer.
I always say if cost is the only thing preventing you from getting a doula, talk to people, do some networking, and see what you can find out. Doulas need to be paid for the work they do, absolutely, but I think you'll also find that many of them (not all!) are very willing to work with you if you want their support.
ETA: Also, if you find a doula you wanted to work with and she proves to be too expensive, ask her for recommendations, because she'll likely know fellow doulas who are more affordable.
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the one I looked into was $1000. I chose the midwives at the hospital instead and our hospital is known for being very pro-natural births and for not pushing interventions.
There were other factors (pre-eclampsia, my son was posterior and had a collapsed lung) where interventions were welcomed and necessary and I don't think a doula could've helped me. -
@Leialou: Have you checked with the hospital you want to deliver at to see if a doula would "count" as an extra person in the room? It depends on policy, but in my experience, some hospitals that are more doula-friendly don't consider them an "extra person" if you inform them ahead of time you'll be using one.
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i can't remember but she was really helpful even though i ended up with a c-section because my labor nurse was so horrible. with charlie i had a really great doctor and didn't need a doula, so it really depends on who is in the room with you, but you won't have any idea until it happens!
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$720 (we prepaid so got a slight discount) and totally worth it for me and DH. I will absolutely use a doula again.
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$1k. We were able to pay in two installments. We interviewed doulas who were cheaper ($350) but they were less experienced and honestly we just didn't vibe with them the way we did with our doula. She was worth every penny and we're definitely planning on hiring her again if/when we have another child.
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$600-$,1000 here, I would say the average being around $750. Many are willing to work on a sliding scale.
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We negotiated down to $1000. She was so helpful through my long long labor we tipped her $500 (making up her original fee). Her contract included 18 hours of laboring but she stayed with me for 40+. We wouldn't have made it through unmedicated labor without her. Medicated would have been almost as bad since I didn't dilate & get admitted until 40+ hours into labor.
We're still deciding for #2. I'm wondering if my doula would labor at home with me and then stay with LO1. I found the doula much more helpful at home than at the hospital. I think the hospital staff treated me less well because i brought a doula.
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Bumping! Researching in the NYC area and don't even know what a reasonable cost is.
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$1000. She arrived when I was amost done pushing (precipitous labor). She then irritated us by sticking her fingers into my sons mouth to try to get him to latch. And she was too aggressive about getting him to latch. So yeah not worth it for me. At all.
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$500 an we hired her for both our babies. She was invaluable both times!
Fwiw our hospital considers the doula a part of the medical team an you can still have 2 other people
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All the doulas I found in our area were close to $1000, and the one who wasn't was clearly lacking in experience. We hired one and she turned out to be a poor fit for my high-risk situation. It turned out to be for the best that we parted ways and I chose to use interventions against her advice...and labor went well.
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If you want to use a doula but price is an issue try finding a doula in training. I contacted dona international and they gave me a list of doulas in training in my area. I contacted and interviewed a few and went with one who ended up becoming my close friend. She was invaluable at the birth and she was free as she needed my birth for part of her certification. I would have asked her for help on my 2nd but one of her children got sick with cancer and I couldnt ask her to be away from her child no matter what. It helped that my husband and I were better prepared I felt since we had her help the 1st time and 2nd babies are faster so it worked out fine without one but I loved having one and highly recommend it.
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My doula was $850, a great deal for this area. I think she was helpful and I'd most likely hire her again if we need it. A friend of mine is about to need her any day now too
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@LindsayInNY: I'll see if I can dig up the info for my doulas. It was maybe $1000. All the details are fuzzy. I had a doula and a backup doula. They were both super awesome! They collaborated on my birth story since I had one in the beginning and the other at the end.
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$800. It was totally worth it for the first birth (she was SO awesome). We moved before our second daughter was born and went without one this time which was totally fine. I do think they're a great support system though, especially for you first labor if you're hoping to avoid an epidural.
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We had 2. First was freshly certified with less than A dozen births, and she was $600. The second was $850 and also included a photography package. In Chicago I know there are many that range much higher but I was happy with who I found on the lower end – just lucky I guess. Both were absolutely amazing, worth their weight in gold, at my births
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@katsupgirl: Thanks that would be helpful!!
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The one I'm meeting with this week and hope to go with is $1250 if they do placental encapsulation, and $1050 if not. $750 if she comes just to the birth and does no meetings before or after, no lactation help, etc. She's on the high end for our area, but is certified in some areas that none of the others are (among other things, she's a "loss doula," so she's better equipped to help us with having lost a baby and been through a traumatic birth from that), so she's well worth it to us. I would say in NYC the rates are probably higher, since the cost of living there is MUCH higher than here.
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$700 in Tennessee. It was too much.
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@LindsayInNY: I used Birth Focus. I liked they way they set it up. Check it out and let me know if you have any questions.
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@raintreebee: YIKES. I went through doula training... that is not something she should have done.
@LindsayInNY: I was living in NY when I took my doula training course and there is an AWESOME network of doulas in the city for every price range. Figure out what you're willing to spend, and you'll find someone more than happy to work with you.
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