I've had a partner for just over two years now. When we first started out, we weren't too busy, so we both went to the prenatal visits, one would go to the birth (and postpartum).

Now we are busier. We both have an office at home, and we live on opposite ends of the city, so it works perfectly. When someone wants a consultation, we ask them which office would be more convienient for them to go to. Once they hire us, we both do the registration at their house (so we know where they live) and then the second prenatal visit is done back at the office whewre they went for their consultation - but only the one doula does that visit. That way she can do a visit and I can do a visit with 2 different couples on the same night.

We alternate who goes to births - we keep a running list of who has gone to which birth so that we know it is even.

We have joint bank accounts. One savings account, which holds all fees until the birth has occured, and a chequing account with an overdraft for expenses. When we pay ourselves for a birth, we deduct expenses off the cheque. We have a few products that we sell, and the profit from those goes directly to offsetting expenses.

For prenatals we each earn $25. We don't charge for a consult, so with both of us going to the registration, and only one going to the second visit, the total is usually $75. The balance goes to whoever attends the birth. In the case of one of us needing to call the other one in to finish the birth, we divide the payment up by how many hours each of us did. We also have a "call out" fee of $50 in the event that we get asked to come to a birth, but something happens in meantime, and that doula doesn't attend (for example - client is at 4 cms after a loooooong early labour, doula is exhausted, calls in the partner. Partner gets ready to go and is halfway to the hospital when she gets a call saying that the client went rapidly to 10 cms, and is now pushing - don't worry about coming)

We also have a couple of backup doulas in the rare event that we have more than 2 clients in labour on the same day (it's happened once) We have a password protected area of our website where client registrations are stored so that the backup has access to important information.

We divide up the responsibilities - she handles the phone and email inquires, and her phone is a business line so that we have a listing in the yellow pages. She takes care of any advertising, etc. I handle the financial stuff and the website.

It's important to make sure that you and your partner get along well and have the same philosophy. One doula told me when I was first starting out that a partnership is like a marriage, so make sure that this is someone who you can REALLY work with, and that you aren't doing this JUST to have a partner. My partner and I did backup for each other and attended a few births together before we made our partnership official. we made sure we were on the same page as each other, and that we "doulaed" the same way.

This has been great info. Another doula, who I met at training, and I have talked about working together. We live in the same basic area, same age, same feelings about labor and birth and I think we make a nice match. We had a meeting the other afternoon to discuss some of these things...how we'd work together, money, clients, etc. I'll have to share this thread with her.

Wow, I'm suprised to hear that so many people wish they had partners. I'm not at that point yet. Have you found your feelings about it have changed overtime or have you always wanted a partner?

I don't have a business partner, but I am part of a group of 4 doulas. We each have our own separate businesses, own own clients, our own marketing, etc. But we provide backup for each other and personal/professional support as well. Once a month we meet together and share basic client info (and yes, our clients know we do this) so that if my client can't reach me, she knows she can call my backup and the backup will have some clue who she is. So my backups always know my clients names, birthplace & proivder, highlights of her birth history (something like "first baby" or "third baby, first birth was unmedicated, second was cesarean, planning a VBAC this time") and any other general tips (like "took so-and-so's HypnoBirthing Class")
This has been SO handy every single time I've done backup. Like one time when I got a call from a mom to come to her birth (regular doula had left town for a funeral) and in the car on the way there I pulled out my notes, and wow, this was a twin birth! Mom neglected to mention that in our conversation. Good to know that before I walked in the room, eh?
We have worked out a formula for how backup pay is calculated. (we don't generally attend each other's prenatals unless there is a situation where using the backup is highly likely, but when we do have someone else attend our prenatals, we pay them for it. We pay our backups for time at births, too. Sometimes the backup is only there for a few hours, sometimes the backup does the whole birth, so we needed to work out the details) It was a tricky thing because we all charge different amounts and one of my backups takes births much father away than I do. But we've got it all worked out now.
This group is also VERY valuable to me in processing birth experiences. We have a firm, absolute rule that everything said in our meetings is highly confidential. And over the years I have worked with these women, we've all kept that intact. I love that safe place, and I love that these women are honest with me and will give me straight answers when I ask things like "What did I do wrong?"

My main piece of advice is this:
PUT EVERYTHING IN WRITING
It doesn't necessarily have to be a formal, lawyer written contract, but I think there is a real benefit in writing it all down so that it is absolutely clear between the two of you how money will be split, how marketing expenses will be split, etc. Sometimes the process of sitting down together and working out the details makes you think of things to discuss that might never have come up until you're in the middle of it and having a difference of opinion. Also, you may not remember what you decided, or the two of you may remember it differently, and having a written thing to look back on is invaluable.

My backup and I chose not to be partners. We back each other up, we share ideas, we market together and work together a lot. I chose not to share a business with her because, who knows, we are just starting out and our paths may go different ways. We may have a fight and then have to divide the assets like in a divorce - YUCK! We do have different ideals, she is very Christian oriented and not very open to the "new age" stuff like hypnobirthing and doesn't particularly care for clients who cuss and drink. Whereas I am like "whatever" its their birth, their life, their choice.

Heather

How has working with a partner has changed over time?

I think what others had said - communication is key. Do not assume anything and make sure that you are comfortable talking with each other if you have a concern about something. Spell everything out, especially the financial stuff.

I have been working with a business partner for 4 1/2 years and it is still going very well. We've changed things about how we run things over time but it continues to be a good partnership and is working well for both of us.

So does the hospital ever hassle you for having 2 doulas at a birth? I would think that may start to get crowded. Just curious is all.