back-up doula fees

[cyerge]

Hi Ladies,
I was wondering if you know what is the percentage (or going rate) you give to your back-up doula if you were not able to attend your client's birth?

[Acacia]

I was looking for a back-up and just asked them what they charge for back-up. I don't think it is really for me to decide kwim? If they tell me a price that is to high then I just continue my search!

[Bex]

Do you all pay your back-ups just to be your back-ups--I don't mean if they attend the birth.

[tlcdoula]

I don't pay my back up to be a back up only because I am also her back up. As far as how much I would pay if she attended the birth and typically (what I have done in the past) is half the fee.

[WildWest Doula]

i have used the same gal as my backup for all four of my births. I don't pay her for being my backup. i charge $500, so I'd give my backup $300 if she attended the birth in my place. If it was a long birth and she had to come in to relieve me I'd pay her depending on how long she wa there.

[WildWest Doula]

i know doulas who do pay their backup for being on call. Also some give the entire fee if the backup attends the birth. It just depends on what you guys work out.

[DoulaCBE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyerge Hi Ladies, I was wondering if you know what is the percentage (or going rate) you give to your back-up doula if you were not able to attend your client's birth?

If the backup doula attends the entire birth, she gets the second half of my fee.

If she attends part of the birth, we break the second half of the fee down into an hourly wage and then we're each paid based on how many hours of labor/birth support we provided.

So if the fee was $300 and it was a 15 hour labor, divide the fee by the hours and come up with an hourly rate.