We know that having high-quality doula support can make all the difference to your birth, postpartum, or end-of-life experience, but people sometimes may experience some sticker shock when quoted a price for this care. When you engage a doula, you get a commitment to round-the clock on-call availability, and access to the doula’s investment in knowledge and training to help you navigate any situation that might arise. It makes sense that doula care costs what it does, and this isn’t an area where you want to skimp. Investing in a doula who values what they do means that you can count on their professionalism to be available when you need them and spend the time getting to know you and how best to support your needs. Still, most of us could use a little help with making a significant investment like this more affordable, so here are some tips and tricks to consider when budgeting for doula care.

1. Start planning as early as possible and ask about payment options. Breaking up the cost of a labor support package into monthly installments throughout pregnancy, for example, may be more manageable than a lump-sum payment. The difficult conversations about end-of-life planning are actually best started before you or your loved ones have an “end of life” diagnosis, and this is also a good time to start talking to an end-of-life doula and putting aside some funds for when you might benefit from the more intensive support. Most doulas are willing to work with clients to come up with a payment plan that works for you.
2. Consider asking others to contribute to your doula fund. Birth and end-of-life are both times that people want to help. A meal train can be a lifesaver during these times, but some of the other gifts are not as useful. Instead of one more baby outfit that may not get worn before it’s outgrown, or one more florist bouquet, ask those who want to give something to consider contributing toward the cost of doula support. One creative way to do this is with the Be Her Village Registry, which allows you to create a baby registry for the pregnancy and postpartum support you actually want.
3. Check your FSA/HSA, insurance, and employer benefits. More and more insurance plans and employers are beginning to recognize the benefits of doula care and offering to cover this service to their beneficiaries. It is definitely asking your insurer and employer! Even if they haven’t already decided to cover this service, you may find that asking the question prompts them to consider it. More commonly, if you have a flexible/health spending account, you can probably claim reimbursement for the expense of doula support as a health-related expenditure.
4. Look into community doula programs. There are a number of nonprofits and community doula programs that are working to make doula support available to more people. They will have certain eligibility criteria, but if you meet the criteria this can be an option to consider. In Birmingham, for instance, BirthWell Partners Community Doula Program provides free doula support to Medicaid-eligible clients. The program relies on grants and fundraising to ensure that doulas are paid fairly for their work, so you still get access to a high-quality service. If you aren’t eligible to receive services through a program like this, perhaps you will consider donating to a program in your community to help others access this care.

Bottom line, if you think that doula support may be helpful for you and your family, reach out and ask a doula in your area about the services and payment options they can offer. It may be more affordable than you think.