How to Afford a Doula
Sometimes families wonder about the price of a doula, is it worth it? Why do they cost so much? How can I pay for one? Can I afford this? I hope this blog post will help to clear up any misconceptions around the price of a doula and also inspire ways in which you can quickly and easily cover the cost so you can have the supported birth you deserve!
Put Into Perspective-
Many folks don’t bat an eye at paying $50-$150+ an hour for a massage, mental health services, hair stylists, acupuncture, car detailing, dog grooming, or other beauty/holistic health services.
Instead of just an hour or two, doulas often spend: an average of 6 hours meeting with you & your partner (if applicable) prenatally, countless hours providing unlimited phone and email support to you over the course of your pregnancy and initial postpartum, and up to 18+ hours of in-person or virtual labor support. That’s 24 hours not including phone/email support time!
Let’s say you hire your doula at 20 weeks gestation and they spend 1 hour per week providing phone/email support to you, that could add ~10 hours. Most birth doulas in Asheville charge a flat fee between $800-$2000, so for a total of 34 hours of support the hourly rate comes out to around $23-59 per hour. Often times less than the hourly rates of many other practitioners you may see regularly!
What The Numbers Show-
The average cost of an uncomplicated hospital vaginal birth in North Carolina (with insurance) is $6,750, without insurance the average cost is $11,991. The average cost of a cesarean birth (with insurance) is $10,100, without insurance the average cost is $16,839.97. (1)
Having a doula could save you money!
Lowers rates of cesareans: Adding a doula to a supportive partner reduced Cesarean rates from 25% down to 13%. These differences were even more apparent with a labor induction. When labor was induced, the Cesarean rate was 59% with a partner alone, and 13% when partners worked together with doulas. (2)
Increases likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth by 15% (vaginal births are less expensive than cesareans).
10% decrease in the use of pain relief medications (potential for lower hospital fees).
31% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience. (3)
Ways To Pay-
HSA/FSA
Did you know you may be able to pay for a doula with your FSA/HSA funds? In most cases, you will have a “credit card” with a certain spending limit, and you will be able to choose what you spend it on and can pay for the services using the card if your doula takes credit/debit cards. Or, you can also pay up front and submit documentation in order to receive reimbursement. (4)
If you need to receive reimbursement:
Pay your doula fee in full and receive an invoice stating the service and the cost of the service.
Fill out a Letter of Medical Necessity form. You can get this form directly from your insurance company or you can use THIS generic one.
Have your medical provider (OB or Midwife) sign the form affirming that you have the medical condition of being pregnant.
File your invoice and Letter of Medical Necessity form with your HSA/FSA. This can usually be done online. (5)
Create a doula fund!
You can create a GoFundMe (or similar) to share with friends and family to help raise the funds for birth and postpartum doula care. Having a baby shower? Add doula funding to your registry (in lieu of the typical 25 pairs of 0-3 month onesies & diaper cakes). :)
Seek out a doula that offers sliding-scale offerings and/or payment plans.
Some doulas operate on a sliding-scale payment system which allows the customer to pick the price point that their family can afford, they may also be able to offer a payment plan which can allow you to pay your chosen price point over time.
Having a doula may very well help you reduce the out-of-pocket costs of having a baby. Plus, add in the peace of mind knowing that you and your partner (if applicable) are supported throughout your birth process? Priceless!
What are your doula’s super powers? What is their value system? What should I ask during an interview? View my How to Choose a Doula blog post to learn how to choose the right doula for you!
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