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My non-medical pregnancy, labor & birth and
postpartum services are billed as a package.
The total cost is $ 500 per family.
Services include, but are not limited to
 | at least two 1-hour prenatal meetings with the mother and her chosen
birth attendant(s); |
| unlimited phone availability for emotional and informational support; |
| provision of a back-up doula, if desired by the mother; |
| 24 / 7 on-call availability for the birth; |
| staying by the side of the laboring mother throughout the entire labor,
no matter how long; |
| providing emotional support and guidance and physical comfort measures,
such as positioning, massage, hydrotherapy, focusing and structured
breathing techniques as needed; |
| facilitating communication between the mother in labor, her partner, and
the clinical care providers; |
| helping the mother and baby to initiate breastfeeding if desired during
the first hour after the birth; |
| a minimum of two and a maximum of seven 2-hour home visits to the mother
and newborn during the first two weeks postpartum to get breastfeeding off
to an optimal start; |
| access to professional lactation equipment, including a precision
pediatric baby scale, a hospital grade breast pump, and a superior
nursing pillow, if needed; |
| unlimited phone consultation availability during the first 6 weeks
postpartum. |
What about Insurance Reimbursement for Doula Services?
There are two options to help pay for doula support:
- Flexible spending accounts can be used toward doula fees;
- Clients can file with their insurance carrier for reimbursement.
Many of my clients have been successful in getting their insurance to
reimburse for my services. I strongly encourage everyone to submit a claim to
their insurance carrier. It’s a teamwork effort: I provide all the necessary
forms and documentation, my clients submit their claim, and then we follow up on
it together. Yes, it’s a tedious job, but persistence and patience can pay
off. I feel that insurance reimbursement will eventually become established as
an insurance benefit, but it takes women to voice clearly that that’s what
they want. This will bring doulas and families one step closer to the DONA
vision: A doula for every woman who wants one!
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