Full-time, part-time doula? What is your situation?

[gemasita]

I am interesting in hearing what your situations are with your doula business. I am currently working a full-time job. I started working on my certifications so that I could have those done before having kids and then once I had kids, not have to go back to my full-time job but do doula work as a full-time job, along with teaching childbirth classes (I'm working on that certification too). Of course, I would take some time off when my children are young.

So I'm almost finished with my birth doula certification and still working on my postpartum doula certification, and all the while, working full-time and doing about 1 birth a month. Sometimes I end up with 2 births a month and sometimes I end up with none (although this has only happened once - this month). I don't really go out looking for clients since I'm so busy with the postpartum training but I get calls pretty often by word-of-mouth! I am happy about that but it is tough. I love my doula work and I think in about a year and a half, we might might have kids and I will be able to quit my full-time job. I can't right now because it allows us to save up a lot of money (I am an engineer right now). So I am going to stick with this for a while longer.

I am just curious to hear from people who are a) currently working a full-time job and working as a doula and hearing how that works for you and b) hearing from people who doula full-time and hearing how that works. In both situations, how many clients per month do you take on?

I feel really torn because I work this day job in a corportate, high-tech environment and I hate it and then I do my doula work and I love it. But I can't get as involved in the birth community as I want to because I work this day job (although, don't get me wrong, I have gotten VERY involved in the birth community anyway - I can't help myself!). I just feel like I have a split personality. I can't wait to quit this job and have kids but I do hope that I can make enough money to supplement what my husbands makes so that we can make ends meet. I would also like to pursue a lactation educator certification in the future and would like to teach fertility awareness. I hope that with the combination of teaching and doula-ing, I will be able to make an ok living.

[DL]

I would love to be able to answer your questions in a helpful way for you, but my situation is very different from yours. My doula work is very part-time; I'm a SAHM, plus we homeschool. I think that two clients per month would be too much for me to handle at this time (maybe when the boys have completed their schooling ). My doula work goes in spurts. I may have several months in a row where I have a client each month, and then I'll go several months without one. That's been fine with me for now, but I will probably want to be a little busier in the future. I must admit, however, that I haven't marketed myself as aggressively as I know I can. For now, whatever money I bring in is just supplemental; my dh is definitely the sole bread winner in my family.

[capandcradle]

I could about ditto Lori -- husband is the breadwinner, I did lots more doula work when I only had one child than I do now. I enjoy teaching childbirth classes and teaching nurses -- I find the hours are more predictable. Anna Marie at www.professionaldoula.com is a full-time, earn her living as a doula, doula. You might check out her site. She's a cool lady.

Anne

[fearlessbirth]

As of right now, I work full-time (not as a doula, to pay the bills) and go to school full-time. I just completed my DONA training in Feb and have a couple of back-up clients lined up, my first client delivered in March and my 2nd delivers in July. I would LOVE to be able to do at least 2 births a month (or more, with backup) but right now we can't afford that. Actually, the job I have now, is super understanding and supportive and they don't care how much work I have to miss for births. It's when we move in the next few months that I don't know how I'll handle having a new job and missing work for births. Eventually, when my partner and I are finished with school and save some money, she'll bring home the bacon and I'll do my doula thing. I'll be getting paid but we're prepared for it to be sporadic and to not 'count' on that income. In the near future I also want to work on post partum doula cert and become a childbirth educator. With small, baby steps, one day I'll get there!

[capandcradle]

Oh Cathy, what are you studying in school? I totally grasp having to pay the bills. Is your job or studies related to your passion for doula-ing?

Having a supportive partner, and employer if you're employed, is 90% of it, isn't it?

:-)
Anne

[gemasita]

Yeah, what's weird about me is that I make 3 times what DH does in my day job. So I can't quit that right now. When I do quit, I feel like I will want to stay home until my child is older, but I will also feel guilty for us losing so much income. I don't want to be stressing that with a newborn but I probably will be! I will try to remember that it's a temporary situation. It'll be a big change to have such a lower income and not a consistent one either!

My employer doesn't even know I doula. I just "call in sick" if I have a birth.

[capandcradle]

Dear Jamie, Guilt is not any mom's friend! I think all moms do the best we can with the information and support we have at the time.

You go, girl! There are many ways to do what you love and earn a living at it.