My Approach to Payment & Accessibility

Support during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum should never be a luxury…it’s a human need. I believe everyone deserves to feel held and cared for during these major life transitions, no matter what their financial situation looks like.

Talking about money can feel hard, but it doesn’t have to be. We’re all navigating different realities, and I want to hold space for that without shame, pressure, or assumptions.I’m dedicated to providing low-or-no cost care to families that find themselves disproportionately impacted by medical neglects & abuse due to racism, classism, and other implicit provider biases. Clients who pay for my services indirectly allow this doula justice mission to manifest!

  • Out-of-pocket

    • Pay all at once

    • Use a sliding scale

      • Offering a sliding scale is one way I express trust in my clients: I trust that they have thought about the value of my support and also that they are experts in their own finances and can come to a decision that reflects both.

    • Use a payment plan

      • Sometimes folks can put down 50% for the deposit but could use monthly reminders to space out payments between the deposit and the final payment

      • Sometimes folks need to place a smaller deposit and spread the rest of the payments out over the course of the pregnancy

      • Sometimes unexpected things happen and it just isn’t doable to pay the whole fee before birth and payment happens later

      • Sometimes folks commit to a lower fee and then, if their financial situation changes, reevaluate during pregnancy or before we conclude our postpartum visits

  • Reimbursement companies like Carrot & Maven

  • Labor Trade Agreements & Bartering

    • Examples…

      • Home-cooked meals or meal prep

      • Massage, bodywork, or acupuncture

      • Art, prints, or handmade crafts

      • Photography or creative services

      • Yoga, fitness, or movement classes

      • Herbal remedies or care kits

      • Cleaning or organizing help

      • Writing, editing, or design services

      • Tech help or website support

      • Garden or plant care

      • Transportation or errands

      • Haircuts or grooming services

      • Anything else you love to do or share!

Options to Cover the Cost of Doula Support

Sliding Scale Tiers

What I tell all of my clients in person and what I’ll tell you here is that, for me, the sliding scale is also about trust. I understand that hiring me means trusting me with an incredibly intimate part of her life. Offering a sliding scale is one way I express trust in my clients: I trust that they have thought about the value of my support and also that they are experts in their own finances and can come to a decision that reflects both.

    • You are comfortably able to meet all of your *basic needs

    • You may have some debt but it does not prohibit attainment of basic needs

    • You own a home or property OR rent a higher-end property

    • You own or lease a car

    • You have regular access to health care

    • You have access to financial savings

    • You have an expendable* income

    • You can always buy new items

    • You can afford an annual vacation or take time off

    • You may stress about meeting your basic needs but still regularly achieve them

    • You may have some debt but it doesn’t prohibit attainment of basic needs

    • You own or lease a car

    • You are employed

    • You have access to health care

    • You may have access to financial savings

    • You have some expendable income

    • You are able to buy some new items & thrift others

    • You can take vacation annually or every few years without financial burden

    • You frequently stress about meeting basic needs & don’t always achieve them

    • You have debt and it sometimes prohibits you from meeting your basic needs

    • You rent lower-end properties or have unsustainable living

    • You do not have a car and/or have limited access to a car but are not always able to afford gas

    • You are unemployed or underemployed

    • You qualify for government assistance including food stamps & health care

    • You have no access to savings

    • You have no or very limited expendable income

    • You rarely buy new items because you are unable to afford them

    • You cannot afford a vacation or have the ability to take time off without financial burden

Where do you fall?