Do doulas really need liability insurance? What does it actually cover? And do you need professional liability insurance, general liability insurance…or both?

These are questions that come up ALL THE TIME in doula groups and instead of relying on what someone heard from another doula who heard it from someone else, I decided to go directly to the source.

In this episode of The Doula Darcy Podcast, I'm talking with Miriam Ball and Karissa Norton from Alternative Balance to get answers to some of the biggest questions doulas have about liability insurance.

And I asked them some pretty specific questions.

We talk about:

• Why birth and postpartum doulas should consider carrying liability insurance

• What can happen even if you didn't actually do anything wrong

• The difference between professional liability and general liability insurance

• Why having one doesn't necessarily mean you have the other

• What happens if a client is injured because of something you did—or something you recommended

• Whether your doula insurance covers YOU if you get hurt in a client's home

• Why doulas who wear multiple hats need to pay attention to exactly which services their policy covers

• What doula agency owners should know when working with independent contractors

• Whether independent contractors should name the agency as an additional insured

• The current situation between Alternative Balance and Carrot as of September 28, 2026

• Whether a postpartum doula is covered when the parents leave the house and the doula stays with the baby

• Where postpartum doula care ends and babysitting or childcare may begin

• What Alternative Balance does and does not cover when it comes to scope of practice

We even get into specific scenarios like: What if a dad trips over your doula bag? What if you're alone with a newborn while Mom runs out for coffee? What if you're also a yoga teacher or massage therapist?

If you've ever had a question about doula liability insurance or you've been trying to piece together answers from conversations in doula Facebook groups this episode gives you the opportunity to hear answers directly from Alternative Balance.

Because protecting the business you've worked so hard to build matters, too.

Learn more about Alternative Balance:
AlternativeBalance.com

Alternative Balance is a professional association offering membership benefits that include insurance coverage; as Miriam clarifies in the episode, it is not itself an insurance agency.

This episode is for educational purposes and should not be considered legal or insurance advice. Always speak directly with your insurance provider about your individual coverage, services, and circumstances.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to:

👍 Like this Podcast

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Connect with me:

Instagram: @thedouladarcy

About The Doula Darcy:

Doula Business Coach & Marketing Strategist

Since 2010, Darcy has built a thriving postpartum doula business (now doula agency) in New Hampshire. With her team of postpartum doulas handling the day-to-day in person clients, Darcy spends her time and energy helping other doulas grow & scale their businesses with a focus on sustainability and not burning themselves out. Prior to having her own 3 children and becoming a doula, Darcy worked for 10 years in the advertising and marketing world. She was able to replace her corporate income quicker than most new doulas because of her previous career & expertise. Darcy now uses this experience to help other doulas build their own thriving practices.

Learn more at:

https://www.thedouladarcy.com

Why real-life connection might be one of the most underrated ways to build a sustainable doula business.

What if one of the best things you could do for your doula business had nothing to do with marketing, strategy, social media or even AI?

I recorded this quickie episode in real time as I was getting ready for one of my favorite weeks of the entire year: the Maine Doula Business Retreat.

And while thinking about why I love bringing a small group of doulas together in a big house on the coast of Maine for five days, I realized something:

There are some things you simply cannot replicate on Zoom. And you definitely can't get them from ChatGPT.

Yes, I love a good business strategy. And yes, I think AI can be an incredible tool for your business.

But there is something powerful that happens when you spend real, uninterrupted time with people who get it.

It's the conversation over coffee in the morning.

It's the business idea that comes up while you're walking to the lighthouse.

It's sitting on the rocks with another doula and realizing she understands exactly what you're going through.

It's laughing around the dinner table, talking around the campfire, and having the kinds of conversations you could never schedule into a 60-minute Zoom call.

And I think part of what we're really experiencing in those moments is oxytocin.

Doulas give so much of themselves to other people. But we need to intentionally create lives and businesses that replenish us, too.

In this quick, unpolished episode, I'm talking about:

• Why I intentionally make the Maine Doula Business Retreat FIVE days long

• What happens when doulas spend multiple days together instead of an hour on Zoom

• Why some of the most valuable "business coaching" at a retreat isn't planned at all

• What AI and ChatGPT can help you with—and what they simply can't replace

• Why connection, fun, rest, and community aren't distractions from growing your business

• Simple ways to create little "drips of oxytocin" in your everyday life

• Why filling your own cup can actually make you better at your work and your business

And no, you don't have to fly to Maine or attend a business retreat to do this. But let me know if ya want to! ;-)

Maybe it's a girls' weekend.

Maybe it's coffee with your doula bestie.

Maybe it's joining a book club, taking up square dancing, starting a knitting circle, sitting outside with your coffee, or texting five people you love just because you're thinking about them.

The bigger question I want you to ask yourself is:

What are you intentionally building into your life that replenishes YOU?

Because maybe the low-key way to build a better, more sustainable doula business isn't another strategy.

Maybe it's more oxytocin.

And if you've ever dreamed about joining me at the Maine Doula Business Retreat, follow along on Instagram this week. I'll be sharing plenty of behind-the-scenes peeks at what happens when a group of doulas from My Doula Village spend five days living, learning, resting, laughing, brainstorming, and dreaming together on the coast of Maine.

What does it actually take to go from doing doula work "on the side" to making it your full-time career?

In this episode of The Doula Darcy Podcast, I'm talking with My Doula Village member Rachel Bailey about exactly that.

When Rachel joined My Doula Village in June 2025, she was a college professor teaching Public Health while also trying to build her doula business on the side. She loved doula work and knew she wanted to do more of it, but walking away from a steady paycheck, health insurance, and a career she'd spent nearly 20 years building was really scary.

And trying to do BOTH was exhausting.

Rachel shares how she went from juggling classes, births, clients, and marketing her business to finally leaving her university job and becoming a full-time doula.

And the best part?

Since making the leap, Rachel has been fully booked every single month.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• How Rachel discovered doula work after a career in public health and academia

• Why she spent several years treating doula work as a side hustle

• The moment she realized she couldn't keep doing two demanding jobs well

• What finally gave her the confidence to leave her professor job

• How she figured out how much she actually needed to earn as a full-time doula

• Why she had to raise her rates—and what happened when she did

• How being surrounded by other working doulas helped her see that this really could be a sustainable career

• The marketing strategies she implemented to start bringing in consistent clients

• How she went from barely using Instagram to actually getting clients from it

• Why Rachel says the advice and support she found inside My Doula Village helped her make the transition

• The surprising difference her husband noticed after she left academia

• Why becoming self-employed has given Rachel MORE choices about what she wants her work and life to look like in the future

Rachel also shares something I think every doula who is currently balancing a "real job" with doula work needs to hear:

"Figure out what you need to make it work and then find help to make that happen. Because it absolutely can happen."

Rachel's story is such a good reminder that becoming a full-time doula doesn't have to mean blindly quitting your job and hoping for the best.

You can build the business first.

You can figure out your numbers.

You can learn how to market yourself.

You can charge rates that actually support you.

And you can create a doula career that pays your bills AND gives you more freedom over how you spend your time.

And, as Rachel proves, it is absolutely not too late to do it.

Find Rachel at

https://eleisondoula.com

https://www.instagram.com/eleisondoula

Connect with The Doula Darcy:

Instagram: @thedouladarcy

https://www.instagram.com/thedouladarcy

Facebook: The Doula Marketing Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedoulamktggroup

About The Doula Darcy:

Doula Business Coach & Marketing Strategist

Since 2010, Darcy has built a thriving postpartum doula business (now doula agency) in New Hampshire. With her team of postpartum doulas handling the day-to-day in person clients, Darcy spends her time and energy helping other doulas grow & scale their businesses with a focus on sustainability and not burning themselves out. Prior to having her own 3 children and becoming a doula, Darcy worked for 10 years in the