A doula’s job can be incredibly rewarding.  The work you do is meaningful and enriches many lives from many families.  But don’t you wish that your doula salary is a little higher?

Here is a list of really simple services which you can provide to increase your income.  These easy tasks can be provided as an extra service to your regular birth or postpartum support.  Many doulas provide these additional services to supplement their salary.

List of Extra Services to Provide to Your Client for Additional Income

Video Recording and Photography 

All mothers would love to have something to remember their precious day.  Many ask for the delivery of their new baby to be recorded.  Recording the special occasion is a great way to make extra money. You can also record the rest of the family meeting the new baby for the first time or a quiet, intimate between the mother and newborn.  Compiling all the videos together into one or two CD/DVDs will be a great service to the entire family.  Some also take photographs of the mother, baby, and other family members in order to make a scrapbook.  If you enjoy recording precious occasions, then this is a great way to make several hundred dollars as a doula.

Belly Casting

Belly casting is making a plaster cast of the mother’s belly so that she’ll have something to remember her pregnancy.  The cast can then be decorated, displayed, or signed by her family and friends.  Birth doulas typically charge $100 – $200 for this service.

Rent Birthing Equipment

Some birth doulas use birth tubs to deliver the baby.  Using birth tubs is a form of hydrotherapy which has been shown to increase relaxation and reduce pain.  Birth tubs can be rented out to the client for $100 for use during her delivery.

Make Clothing and Bedding for the Newborn

If you have a talent knitting or sewing, then making new clothes and blankets for the baby is a good choice. Some mother’s prefer handmade, natural clothing and bedding for their newborn.  You can accommodate her needs by knitting or sewing pajamas and blankets out of natural materials and fabrics.  This is a great way for artistic doulas to earn some extra cash.

Prenatal and Postpartum Massages

Massages have been scientifically shown to have health benefits such as reducing stress and removing tension.  This is a great way to increase circulation and mobility during the pregnancy and after her baby is born.  Doulas usually charge $50 to $100 for each prenatal or postnatal massage sessions.

Placental Encapsulation

Placental encapsulation is a process which involves drying your client’s fresh placenta, ground into a powder, and placed into pills.  Anecdotal evidence from mothers who have used placental encapsulation suggests that there are some health benefits such as replenishing hormones and increasing iron levels.  The scientific studies are inconclusive, so not all clients will want this service. However, mothers interested in holistic care may request this extra service.

Teach as a Childbirth Educator

Birth doulas and postpartum doulas that become certified in childbirth education can teach expectant parents and train new doulas in childbirth education.  Childbirth educators provide evidence-based information on a wide variety of childbirth topics and work in birth centers, hospitals, and public health centers.

Become a Lactation Counselor

Postpartum doulas who receive advanced training in breastfeeding are certified as lactation counselors.  Lactation counselors serve to provide breastfeeding assistance to the mother by demonstrating proper breastfeeding techniques, milk storage, and other common breastfeeding topics. Serving as a lactation counselor is an easy method of increasing your postpartum doula salary.

Prenatal Yoga

Prenatal yoga relieves stress and tensions that can arise from being pregnant.  A prenatal yoga instructor is able to show expectant mothers how to properly perform yoga postures and breathing exercises while carrying a child and is another great way to make extra income as a doula.