Every doula sets an individual fee for services. Typically this depends on the certification, training and experience of the doula.    I base my current doula fees on the following:  

• I am a Certified DONA Birth Doula and a Certified CAPPA Childbirth Educator.  This means that I am a member of  professional organizations and must maintain my membership annually and in order to remain certified I must fulfill continuing education credits for both organizations. 
• I currently only take on one to two clients per month.  This allows me to be fully committed to each client and their needs.  When I commit to working with the families that I do, it means that I am unavailable to work with another who might be interested.
• The working hours of a birth doula are unpredictable.  Typically I spend approximately 6-8 hours prenatally with clients, 2-4 hours postnatally and an additional 1-2 hours for phonecalls, responding to emails and research into individual questions and concerns.  While the average time spent with a woman in labor and birth is about 12 hours, it can last longer or it may be shorter.
• It is important to me that I continue to learn as much as I can as a doula and childbirth educator so that I can stay up to date with new information. Therefore, part of my doula fee goes towards attending conferences, purchasing books and additional training.
• Expenses for a doula can be high.  When I am on call, I always carry my cell phone.  I also have travel costs such as gas and hospital parking fees. I also have supplies that I have with me and give clients at meetings or at the hospital.

Please keep in mind the breakdown of doula fees when considering whether or not to hire a doula.  It may help you understand why each doula charges what they do for their professional support.