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When you think about that on call life it can be nerve wracking that more than 1 client could need you at the same time. We get it, Babes, we were there too. So when you are dreaming of your thriving doula biz, there may be a big gap in the information around client load size.
Honestly, this is one of the most practical questions people ask when they start looking at a doula training.
We rarely hear the questions: “will I love the work?” because if you are here you probably already know the answer is yes. The real question is logistics. How many clients can a doula realistically support each month without burning out or living in permanent on-call chaos?
OK, ok, we are going to be a bit annoying here… the answer depends on what kind of doula work you are doing. A fertility doula, birth doula, postpartum doula, or full spectrum doula will all structure their client load differently.
Let’s break it down so you can picture what a real doula business might look like.
Birth Doula Client Load
Birth doulas work on call, which means babies get to pick the schedule. Because of that unpredictability, most birth doulas keep their monthly client numbers fairly small.
For many doulas, two to four birth clients per month is considered a full time workload. Each client typically includes prenatal visits, being on call for several weeks, the birth itself, and a postpartum follow up.
New doulas often start with one birth client per month while they build experience and confidence after completing their doula certification. That slower pace also helps you figure out how the work fits into your real life.
If you are working part time or balancing another job, one client per month is often the sweet spot. It allows you to support families deeply without feeling like you are permanently waiting for your phone to ring.
If you want to understand the day to day rhythm of birth work, this blog explains it well.
Personal Note: our founder, Bianca Sprague, grew her business very quickly back in 2007-2008. She had her first month with 2 clients, and liked that pace for a couple months and went to 3, then a couple months after that to 4. She was enjoying the busy and action packed pace so she added another. She juggled 5 clients a month for about 4 months and was loving the difference she was making and what was happening in her bank account… so she went to 6.
Y’all, she crumbled! Like cried non-stop, back to back births, not enough sleep, missed her 1 year old baby. It was a real shock and nightmare. Sharing this with you so you can learn from her mistakes!
Postpartum Doula Client Load
Postpartum work looks very different because it is scheduled in shifts rather than being on call.
A postpartum doula might support two to five families per month, depending on how many hours each family needs. Some families hire a doula for a few hours per week, while others book multiple overnight shifts.
Overnight postpartum care can be especially popular because it allows parents to sleep while someone experienced helps with feeding and soothing the baby. We have students and alumni that live for overnight care because they can work 10pm to 6am and sleep at work with the baby, then leave and still get out the door for other paid labor, kids to school, or other tasks in their day. The average fee for overnight is about $300-$500 per night so there is a good income stream there too!
Because shifts are scheduled, postpartum doulas often have more predictable hours. That makes this work a great option for people who want to build a part time doula business while keeping another job or have little ones still at home with them.
If you are curious about that balance of having a doula business plus other paid labor, read this.
Full Spectrum Doula Client Mix
Many doulas work across the reproductive spectrum rather than focusing on only one service.
A full spectrum doula might attend a birth or two in a month while also supporting postpartum clients or offering fertility or loss support. We highly recommend a full spectrum training FYI!
That combination can make a doula business more sustainable because not all income depends on unpredictable birth schedules.
If you want to explore the wider possibilities of doula work, because there is so much you can do with your doula training besides hip squeezes and overnights, this article breaks it down.
How Client Numbers Connect to Income
The number of clients you take each month directly affects your income as a doula.
Birth doulas often charge anywhere from about $1,500 to $4000+ per client depending on location and experience. Postpartum doulas usually charge hourly rates around $30-$60 per hour. Many of our alumni who want full time doula businesses make over $100K per year!
Also, the insurance payouts for doulas have gone up significantly in the last 3 years and average about $3500 per birth for programs such as Medical, TriCare and Medicaid.
You can see a detailed breakdown of real numbers here to find out how much a doula makes in the US and Canada. There is a great earning potential here for fertility doulas, birth doulas, postpartum doulas and full spectrum doulas.
This is why some doulas take fewer clients at higher rates, while others build a larger client roster with smaller packages. There is no single model for a successful doula business.
Start Smaller Than You Think with your Doula Business
One of the biggest mistakes new doulas make is overbooking themselves, remember Bianca’s story above.
Excitement is wonderful but exhaustion is not. Trust us!
When you finish your doula course online, it is tempting to take every client who calls. But birth work can be physically and emotionally intense, and learning your capacity takes time. Also, you want to work with folks you enjoy spending time with as you will spend about 24 hours per client with their prenatal and postpartum visits included. That is a lot of time to spend with someone you don’t like! It is rough, again, trust us!
Many experienced doulas recommend starting with fewer clients and gradually increasing as your confidence and systems grow. Note that we included your systems too! This is something that we teach in our trainings, you have to have the systems set up or it becomes a complicated juggling act.
If you are still deciding how to become a doula, this reality check guide is a helpful place to start.
And if you want to understand some of the challenges people encounter in this work, read this next!
So How Many Clients Per Month Is Right for Your Doula Business?
For a part time doula, one birth client or one or two postpartum families per month may be perfect.
For a full time birth doula, two to four births per month is common.
For postpartum doulas, client numbers depend more on hours than families, and a few consistent clients can create steady income.
The beauty of doula work is flexibility, this is why we love this work for busy women and queer folks! Your client load can grow and change as your life does.
And if you are exploring an online doula training or doula certification, understanding these numbers helps you imagine what your future doula business could realistically look like. If you are considering taking a weekend training, please, please read this first!
If you are thinking about doula work and you have specific questions about your life and situation, we are happy to jump on a call with you. You can ask us anything and we chat it out. Just shoot us an email at [email protected] and Kelly will set that up with you.
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