14/01/2026
Every now and then I take a look at what other birth doulas charge to see how my own prices compare. I know different doulas offer slightly different services and have different areas of expertise, and their prices will reflect this. However, what I am increasingly aware of is that although there are doulas who charge less than me and who charge a similar price, there are also those who charge considerably more than I do.
💜 So why do some doulas charge so much more than others? 💜
Some doulas need to charge high prices, just to be able to pay the bills. Doulas who are the sole or main bread-winner in their household need to charge enough to afford to pay the bills. Those who have a partner who earns a very high wage, or who have other sources of income besides doual-ing can get away with charging less and still be able to have enough money to live. Most doulas, had other jobs before becoming doulas, some of which may have been quite highly paid. And if a doula’s previous job afforded them an affluent lifestyle, they may wish to maintain it, by charging more.
Some doulas charge more because they live and work in an area with a high cost of living. In areas where there is a high cost of living, not only are the people more likely to be able to afford (and be willing to pay) higher prices, but the doulas who live in those areas will need to charge more to be able to afford to live there themselves.
Price variations may also be due to the level of experience and qualification a doula has. A doula who has, not only had 10 years’ experience working as a doula, but also previously worked as a healthcare assistant on a maternity ward, and has given birth 4 times herself, for example, can quite justifiably charge a lot more than a new doula with no relevant qualifications.
Some doulas are also antenatal teachers, hypnobirthing instructors, breastfeeding counsellors or babywearing consultants or have qualifications in relevant therapies such as pregnancy and postnatal massage or reflexology, and charge more because of their additional expertise.
Some doulas offer a very comprehensive service, while others offer a much more basic package. Some offer the use of birth pools, TENS machines or birth balls. Numbers of inclusive antenatal and postnatal visits, as well as on-call periods can vary too. Some doulas offer just two antenatal and one postnatal visit and only go on-call from 38 weeks, while others offer several antenatal and postnatal visits and go on-call from 37 weeks.
💚 Do I charge less because I live in an area with a low cost of living? 💚
No. The area I live and work in is neither cheap nor overly expensive. I am ‘down south’, so things are generally a bit more expensive than for my more northern counterparts, but I am quite far from London (where doulas regularly charge more than four times what I do). There are certainly some extremely well-off people living in some of the nearby villages, but the vast majority of people who live in the surrounding area do not earn six figure salaries or live in houses big enough to have their own postcodes.
💜 Do I charge less because I have little or no experience or qualifications? 💜
No. My level of experience isn’t huge. I haven’t supported hundreds of births, but I have been a doula for 13 years. I have trained and worked as a nursery nurse, babywearing consultant and breastfeeding counsellor. I regularly attend relevant courses, workshops and conferences, to keep my skills and knowledge up-to-date. And I have experience of giving birth myself, both in hospital and at home.
💚 Do I charge less because my services don’t include much? 💚
No. My services are pretty comprehensive. I don’t include 6 postnatal visits, as I have seen a few doulas do. Although if you do want more than the two I offer as standard, with my birth package, you have the option to pay for more. But I do offer up to 6 antenatal visits, and I know that this is more than most other doulas offer. My on-call period is from 37 weeks (or earlier if you are likely to give birth early for any reason) until you give birth, even if that is later than 42 weeks. When I take a booking I will make sure I am available until at least 43 weeks. Some doulas don’t go on-call until 38 weeks, or even 10 days before your due date. And I include the use of one of my birth pools and/or TENS machines in my services.
💜 So why are my prices lower? 💜
It isn’t because I live in an area where no-one would be willing, or able, to afford higher prices (otherwise those doulas that charge more wouldn’t be in business).
It isn’t because I have no relevant qualifications or experience. I have a significant level of relevant experience and actually have more relevant qualifications than many other doulas, who charge more than I do.
It isn’t because my services don’t include as much as others. In fact, from what I have seen they generally include more.
It isn’t because my husband earns so much money I don’t need to work. And it isn’t because I have another more lucrative source of income, meaning I can just doula as a hobby!
I know that if I charged more I would still get people paying for my services. But the people I would get paying for them would change. Currently I get a lot of clients who I’d consider to be ‘like me’. Before becoming a doula, I was primary school teacher, living in a 3 bedroom house, paying a mortgage and living a very ordinary lifestyle. I couldn’t afford to buy brand new cars straight off the showroom floor or to go on regular holidays to exotic locations. And I would have considered hiring a ‘higher charging’ doula to be a luxury I couldn’t justify paying for.
It isn’t that I don’t think doula services are valuable. In some cases having a doula can be worth more than even the most expensive doulas’ fees. It is hard to put a price on having a positive versus negative birth experience, or of avoiding postnatal depression.
But however valuable a service is, when it is not free, not everyone is in position to be able to pay for it.
I know there is the Doula UK access fund. It is there to help individuals or families who feel a doula could help them, but who cannot afford to hire one. But it is there to help those in significant financial hardship or some other form of disadvantage. A ‘normal’ family, who do not receive any benefits or have any other disadvantages would be unlikely to qualify. And it is those ‘normal’ people, who aren’t disadvantaged enough to qualify for the access fund, but would struggle to pull together enough money to pay a more expensive doula, that I tend to get as clients.
I am more than happy to work for clients who could afford a much more expensive doula. I believe everyone who feels a doula would be beneficial to them should be able to have one. But it is when working with the families with more modest incomes, who have to know how much a doula charges before decided to hire them or not, that I feel I am doing what I am meant to do.
There will always be doulas available for those that don’t need to check the price of something before deciding to buy it. What I strive to provide is a doula service for those that have to give bit more consideration to an expensive as big as hiring a doula.
In summary. I do not charge less than other doulas because I feel my service is worth less or because doulas in general are not worth paying a high price for, but because I want hiring a doula to be something that isn’t reserved only for those that are either very rich or very poor. I want to provide a doula service that is accessible to ordinary people, with average incomes.
