If You're Charging $600 for a Birth, We Need to Talk

In this episode, I dive into one of the biggest mistakes I see doulas making: setting rates without considering the real costs of running a business. From liability insurance and continuing education to website costs, self-care, and recovery after births, your pricing needs to cover far more than the hours you're physically attending a birth.

If you've ever felt guilty charging your full fee for a short birth, struggled to invest in your business, or wondered whether it's time to raise your rates, this episode is for you.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What "cost of doing business" actually means

• The hidden expenses every doula should be budgeting for

• Why your rates should include recovery time after births

• The difference between business expenses and business investments

• How investing in yourself can dramatically increase your income

• A simple exercise to calculate whether your current rates are truly profitable

• Why raising your rates isn't about greed, it's about longevity

The world needs experienced doulas. Pricing your services sustainably helps ensure you'll still be serving families years from now.

Connect with me:

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 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

As doulas, we spend our days nurturing, supporting, and caring for everyone else.

But how can we also teach mothers how to care for themselves?

In this week's episode, I'm joined by Dr. Gertrude Lyons, author of Rewrite the Mother Code: From Sacrifice to Stardust, for a conversation that completely reframes what it means to support women through motherhood.

We dive into the concept of self-mothering, the practice of offering yourself the same compassion, grace, encouragement, and care that you so freely give to everyone else. And then modeling that for our doula clients.

For many women, becoming a mother comes with an invisible set of rules: Put everyone else's needs first. Don't ask for help. Keep giving, even when you're running on empty.

As doulas, we have a unique opportunity to model something different. We can help our clients understand that caring for themselves isn't selfish, it's one of the greatest gifts they can give to themselves, their babies, and their families.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What "self-mothering" really means

• The hidden messages women receive about motherhood and self-sacrifice

• How doulas can help clients build self-compassion during postpartum

• The importance of receiving support instead of trying to do it all alone

• How this conversation applies to doulas, too

Whether you're a birth doula, postpartum doula, childbirth educator, or simply passionate about supporting mothers, this episode offers a beautiful reminder:

The way we care for ourselves teaches the next generation how to care for themselves.

I hope this conversation encourages you to not only support your clients differently, but to offer yourself that same compassion as well.

About Dr. Gertrude Lyons: In her coaching, retreats, workshops and book Rewrite the Mother Code: From Sacrifice to Stardust – A Cosmic Approach to Motherhood, Dr. Gertrude Lyons challenges the limiting beliefs and expands the concepts around what it is to be a mother. Lyons blurs the lines that pigeonhole women into limited roles that ultimately disempower them. Rather than operating within a narrow conception of what mothering is, she invites people to open themselves up to what is possible and see the truth: that all women mother, and that mother energy is accessible to all of us-including men. Rewrite the Mother Code is a celebration of motherhood, bringing spirituality and community back into the experience and empowering women to be what they truly are, the ultimate creators.

https://www.drgertrudelyons.com/

https://www.instagram.com/drgertrudelyons/

https://gertrudelyons.substack.com/

Do you hate social media?

You're definitely not alone.

In fact, it's one of the biggest complaints I hear from doulas.

In this episode, I'm sharing a mindset shift that has completely changed the way I look at social media and it's changing the way my students think about it too.

Instead of seeing social media as another annoying marketing task, what if you saw it as one of the most powerful ways to improve birth and postpartum care globally?

In this episode we'll talk about:

• How your phone can help you reach thousands of families with evidence-based information

• Why doulas have a responsibility to help combat misinformation online

• How social media allows you to help far more than one family at a time

• Why worrying about negative comments is keeping you from making a bigger impact

• The simple mindset shift that makes showing up online feel meaningful instead of exhausting

If you've ever thought, "I just hate social media," this episode is for you.

Your voice matters.

The families who need you are already scrolling.

It's time they found you.

Resources Mentioned

Join my free Facebook community: The Doula Marketing Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedoulamktggroup

Learn more about My Doula Village for ongoing business coaching and support.

https://www.mydoulavillage.com

If this episode encouraged you, I'd love it if you'd subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another doula who needs this reminder.

Save 20% off of any of the following through October 1, 2026 using code DOULADARCY:

The Birth, Baby! Academy Birth Doula Training and Certification Program:

https://empoweredbeginningsatx.thrivecart.com/online-birth-doula-training/

Newborn Sleep Class:

https://empoweredbeginningsatx.thrivecart.com/newborn-sleep-class-for-parents/

Birth Basics Class:
https://empoweredbeginningsatx.thrivecart.com/birthbasics/

If your inquiries have slowed down, you're not alone.

In this episode, Doula Darcy tackles the "elephant in the room" that many doulas are experiencing right now: fewer inquiries, fewer consultations, and a noticeable slowdown in business.

Drawing from conversations with doulas across the English-speaking world and her own 16-year-old postpartum doula agency, Darcy shares why economic uncertainty may be affecting client bookings and, more importantly, what you can do about it.

Rather than hiding when business slows down, Darcy explains why this is the perfect time to strengthen your marketing foundation and position yourself for future growth.

• Why a slow season isn't always a marketing problem
• How economic uncertainty impacts doula hiring decisions
• The difference between a temporary slowdown and a broken business model
• Why visibility matters more than ever during challenging economic times
• How fear can prevent doulas from serving the families who need them most

Links Darcy mentioned:

James Wedmore's Business Breakthrough Experience starts June 11th.

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 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:
www.TheDoulaDarcy.com

You Can't Build a High-Value Doula Business with Low-Value Decisions

In this candid and "slightly spicy" episode, Darcy challenges a pattern she's seeing across the doula industry: the constant search for the fastest, cheapest, and free-est way to build a doula business.

From low-cost trainings to DIY websites and free mentorship requests, she breaks down why this mindset is quietly sabotaging doulas and why it directly impacts their ability to attract paying clients.

This conversation isn't actually about spending more money. It's about understanding value, self-worth, and the connection between how you invest in yourself and how clients perceive (and pay for) your services.

• Why "cheap and fast" thinking is hurting your doula business
• The powerful mindset shift: viewing your business decisions through a client's lens
• How your willingness to invest impacts your ability to get hired
• The truth about low-budget websites and high-ticket services
• Why self-worth, not strategy, is often the real bottleneck
• How to start attracting clients who value and pay you well

Darcy shares a simple but eye-opening exercise:

Next time you see a post asking for the cheapest or fastest way to become a doula…
👉 Replace it with "childbirth education" or "birth preparation"

Would you recommend the cheapest, fastest option to a pregnant mom?

If not… why are you doing it in your own business?

"If you are not willing to invest in yourself, no one is going to be willing to invest in you."

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 www.thedouladarcy.com

In this episode, Darcy sits down with PR expert and seasoned doula Kristin Revere, founder of Gold Coast Doulas, to break down how doulas can bootstrap their own public relations strategy without spending thousands on a Public Relations agency. From pitching local media to leveraging national features, Kristin shares actionable, real-world strategies to help doulas get visible, build authority, and ultimately attract more clients.

• The difference between paid advertising vs. earned media (and why PR is so powerful)
• How to pitch yourself to local TV, radio, and publications
• Why doulas are perfect for "feel-good" media stories
• How to use holidays and awareness weeks (like Mother's Day & International Doula Month) for media opportunities
• What makes a strong press release + follow-up strategy
• The importance of building relationships with reporters and producers
• How one media feature can lead to major national exposure (even The Washington Post!)
• Why credibility + authority skyrocket when you're featured in media
• How to repurpose media appearances for social content and SEO
• Tips for on-camera confidence and interview prep
  
  
  

  Kristin is the founder of Gold Coast Doulas, a certified birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, podcast host of the Ask the Doulas Podcast, and co-author of Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby. With a background in public relations, she brings a unique and powerful perspective to helping doulas grow their visibility and impact.