How to Diversify as a Doula

As doula mentors we connect a lot with newly trained doulas or doulas who are looking to expand their business and one of the common topics of discussion during our mentoring sessions revolves around consistent income and truly making doula work a career. If you’ve been in this line of work for any amount of time you know that it can be “feast or famine.” Meaning some times you’re overwhelmed with client inquiries and new bookings and you have consistent income, and other times it’s just crickets…

It is a common challenge and one we’re really passionate about helping doulas overcome.

One of the biggest tips we can share for creating consistent income and sustainability in your career as a doula is to diversify, diversify, diversify!

What does that mean exactly?

Well, we know you probably got into this work to attend births, snuggle babies, support new moms, or improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. And while that is at the core of what most doulas do, it doesn’t always provide the most consistent of work or income. To diversify is to offer other services that blend with your primary service (attending births or postpartum visits) and that allow you additional streams of income. For some, the ultimate goal is passive income, but for others, they simply want additional avenues to do what they love and support families in other ways.

So what does that look like?

The beauty of this work is that it can look like however you want! As a small business owner, you have the power to form your own business structure, service offerings, and pricing. And you can easily market your additional services to enhance your client’s experience, create a deeper connection with your clients, and to bring in more income.

Some common additions include:

Teaching childbirth education. Pursuing certification as a childbirth educator adds an extra layer to your doula services and gives you an opportunity to attract even more clients. You have the option to teach privately or in a community setting.

Consider becoming a prenatal yoga instructor. Yoga is a fantastic way for pregnant moms to stay active, relieve stress, and connect with their changing bodies. Integrating prenatal yoga into your doula services offers an additional avenue for holistic support. This is actually how I found a lot of my doula clients when I was first starting out!

Offer placenta encapsulation, tinctures, and salves. This unique skill allows you to provide clients with information and support regarding the potential benefits of consuming their placenta postpartum, addressing aspects of energy recovery and hormonal balance. Placenta preparation can be done in the clients home during a postpartum visit or in your home, in a sterile space. The flexibility allows for you to continue working life on call and adding another source of income.

Provide nutrition and wellness coaching: Expand your knowledge of nutrition and wellness to provide comprehensive guidance during pregnancy and postpartum. Offering nutrition and wellness coaching as part of your doula services can empower clients to make informed choices for a healthy lifestyle, improve birth & postpartum outcomes, and you can also easily weave this service into your prenatal or postpartum visits.

And a tip from us to you, make sure you track your various services and the income they bring in. This will allow you to visually see what impact your services are making and also put more focus in the areas that are bringing in the most income or are the most valuable to your clients.

Diversifying your doula services by acquiring additional certifications and skills opens up exciting opportunities for expanding your income streams as a doula and it reduces the occurrence of the “feast or famine” phenomenon. Offering specialized services such as class instruction, placenta encapsulation, and nutritional coaching allows you to create unique packages that cater to a variety of client preferences and attract clients who are looking for those specific services (even if they aren’t initially looking for a doula). By positioning yourself as a doula with a comprehensive skill set, you not only enhance your marketability but also increase the potential for attracting diverse clientele, ultimately contributing to a more robust and sustainable doula business.