Doula Matching, Doula Registries and Doula Agencies

There are so many wonderful options to get connected to expecting and new families that are looking for birth & postpartum support. Collectives, Co-Ops, Agencies, Matching Services… it can all get a little confusing when navigating who to work with and how to run your business. One of the reasons we exist is to make all of that easier for you, while empowering you to run your own business and have a sustainable career. If you’re looking to partner with an established network of doulas and newborn care specialists, we’ve broken down the various options for you here.

Matching & Referral Service

Hey, it’s us!! This is the model we operate and adore because it provides SO much freedom for our members to run their businesses how they like and get amazing referrals sent their way.

So what does it look like?

When you become a member of National Baby Co. we add you to a detailed database that includes what services you provide, the rates you charge, your service area, and more. Utilizing all of this information we create a professional profile for you on our website that features your business and highlights your trainings, certifications, and services.

When inquiries come in that match what you offer, we send client leads your profile to review before interviewing.

We handle marketing, vetting leads, and the upkeep of the database including your availability. We also provide monthly mentoring opportunities, team meetings with guest speakers and continuing education, business resources, and an incredible community of other doulas, newborn care specialists and birthworkers to connect and collaborate with.

The best thing about this is that when you receive a client lead from us and that client lead books your services, that client is yours. And you can serve that client in your own, unique beautiful way. You can create your own packages that highlights the best of what you offer and we work hard to find you the most ideal clients!

For this service there is a sign up fee and referral fees that are due to us when a client lead that we provide books your services. The only other fee is an annual membership fee that is charged for each year you want to maintain your profile in our database.

So to recap: you are our client - we work for you! The client leads that hire you become your clients, you decide how much you get paid, and you control all the aspects of your own business… and client leads have peace of mind knowing that we only invite professional and fully vetted people to our team!

You can read more about member eligibility and perks here.

Doula Agency

We’ve done the doula agency thing and it is a great choice for a lot of people! Ultimately, we revised our business model due to changing laws in California, which is where our first doula agency was founded. We thrived as a doula agency for 5 years so we know a lot about how they operate!

With doula agencies, you will generally sign a contract as an independent contractor, although there are agencies that hire employees as well.

The clients (expecting parents) that sign an agreement are signing one with the agency itself (so the client is the agencies client, not your client) and the agency will then contract the entire job out to one doula or to several doulas based on the client needs or based on doula availability.

Compensation varies based on a variety of factors, most specifically location and what the average rate for birth or postpartum doula care is in a certain geographic area. For example, one agency may pay a higher rate in New York due to overall cost of living and demand, while doula agencies in Michigan or Oregon may not be able to pay that same rate. Some agencies offer a rate based on doula experience, while others pay the same, standard rate to all their doulas.

With this model, a certain amount of the rate that the client pays goes to the agency for running the business and a certain amount of the rate the client pays goes to the doula. For example: If the client is charged $40/hr - the agency may pay the doula $20/hr and then the agency absorbs $20/hr which goes towards the cost of running the business… of which there are many. The agency owner controls all this (except what you pay, because hint hint, that’s negotiable!) and if you have questions about the breakdown you can definitely inquire. While agencies may not give you all the information about how their business is run, many of them are very open with how they operate.

Contrary to popular belief, agency owners aren’t taking a “cut” of a doula’s pay, rather they are compensating themselves for running their business. The agency does the marketing, networking and builds a reputation with the community for their business, while the doula provides the support to the client.

Doula Registry

This term could mean a few different things, but in our experience it most commonly means a local or national organization that charges a fee to be a part of a doula community and have a listing on a website. The fee may be a one-time fee or an annual fee and most registries have certain criteria you have to meet in order to join. For example: you’ve completed a doula training through one of their approved organizations.

Some registries may simply be a way to improve SEO and get your name out to the community, while others come with benefits included in the fee you pay. Benefits may include seminars or workshops, local gatherings, and discounts for local businesses.

Many registries have a “find a doula” section where people searching for a doula can easily find one of those listed on their website.

Doula Collective or Doula Co-Op

Again, there’s some debate on what these terms can mean, but most commonly a collective or a cooperative is a network of doulas or birthworkers in a certain geographical area. Each doula or member of the collective owns and runs their own business, but they all collaborate with each other to create community, provide backup support, and help each other grow.

Members of the co-op often share duties (such as taking turns leading a meeting or hosting a seminar) and collectively decide who they’ll add as new members. Each member also gets a say or vote in how the collective is run. Similar to all these other models, there are certain criteria that need to be met in order to join.

There are typically monthly or yearly fees to maintain a membership within a collective or co-op.

As with anything in life there are pros and cons to each option and ultimately it will be up to you to decide what works best for your lifestyle and your career goals. If you’re looking for your business to flourish and the Matching & Referral service model caught your eye, we’d love to invite you to apply to join our team. Our database of exceptional doulas, newborn care specialists, and other birth/postpartum professions is constantly growing. It would be an honor to help you grow your business, provide community and encourage you in your career.