Discovering the Wide Range of Doula Specializations & Streams of Income
Doulas are professionals who provide emotional, physical, and informational support to individuals and families during reproductive experiences, such as pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, abortion, and adoption. The doula profession has evolved over the years, and now there are various types of doulas who specialize in providing different support, some that you might not know about. Today, we'll explore the different types of doulas, their roles, and the services they provide to help you understand the diverse range of support available to individuals and families during reproductive experiences. Whether you want to help clients who are expecting a baby, undergoing fertility treatments, or coping with loss, there is a role for you to provide the type of support you desire.
There are a variety of doulas who specialize in providing different kinds of support:
Birth Doula: A birth doula provides emotional, physical, and informational support to a person and their partner during labor and delivery.
Postpartum Doula: A postpartum doula provides emotional, physical, and informational support to new parents during the postpartum period (typically within six-twelve weeks after the birth of the baby).
Antepartum Doula: An antepartum doula provides emotional, physical, and informational support to a person who is experiencing a high-risk pregnancy or other complications during pregnancy.
Full Spectrum Doula: A full spectrum doula provides support throughout the full spectrum of reproductive experiences, including pregnancy, birth, postpartum, abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth, and adoption. Full spectrum doulas recognize that reproductive experiences can be complex and multifaceted, and they strive to provide nonjudgmental, compassionate, and culturally responsive support to individuals and families across a range of experiences.
Fertility Doula: A fertility doula provides support to individuals and couples who are trying to conceive or undergoing fertility treatments. Fertility doulas may provide emotional and informational support throughout the process of trying to conceive, as well as support during fertility treatments such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Fertility doulas may provide a range of services, including education on fertility and reproductive health, help with tracking ovulation and fertility, support with lifestyle changes that may improve fertility, and emotional support throughout the process of trying to conceive or undergoing fertility treatments. They may also provide support during medical procedures, such as holding space during an IVF transfer or providing relaxation techniques during a procedure.
Abortion Doula: An abortion doula provides emotional, physical, and informational support to people who are undergoing an abortion procedure.
Bereavement Doula: A bereavement doula provides emotional and informational support to people who have experienced the loss of a pregnancy or infant.
Surrogacy Doula: A surrogacy doula provides emotional, physical, and informational support to surrogates and intended parents during the surrogacy process.
Adoption Doula: An adoption doula provides emotional and informational support to people who are going through the process of adoption.
Transition Doula: is a caregiver and companion to the expansive spectrum of gender-affirming transitions — including hormone, surgical, non-medical, and herbal transitions — for people who are queer, trans, gender nonconforming, nonbinary, or otherwise seeking gender-affirming care.
Sexuality Doulas (coined by Ev’Yan Whitney) or Intimacy Coaches educate, facilitate, support, guide, and hold space for folks who are ready to step out of shame, confusion, and fear within their sexuality and want to come into an authentic expression of their sexual, sensual selves—whatever that looks like for them.
End-of-Life or Death Doulas are professionals who provide emotional, spiritual, and practical support to individuals and their families during the dying process and in the time leading up to death. End-of-life doulas may work with individuals who are terminally ill, as well as their families and caregivers, and they may provide a range of services including emotional support, education on end-of-life options, advocacy, and practical assistance such as help with funeral arrangements and legacy projects. End-of-life doulas work to empower individuals and their families to make informed decisions about their care and to create a peaceful and meaningful end-of-life experience.
Streams of Income
While doulas are often passionate about their work and are drawn to it as a calling, it's also essential to earn a living wage. Creating multiple streams of income is one way for doulas to leverage their expertise and generate additional revenue streams beyond their primary service offerings. We'll explore different ways that doulas can diversify their income streams, from developing product lines and offering training and certification programs to collaborating with other professionals and creating digital products. By utilizing these strategies, doulas can increase their earning potential while continuing to provide high-quality support to their clients.
Create and sell digital products: Doulas can create and sell digital products such as ebooks, courses, and webinars on topics related to reproductive health and wellness. For example, a doula could create an online course on natural childbirth techniques or a webinar on coping with miscarriage.
Develop a product line: Doulas can develop a product line of items that complement their services. For example, a doula could create and sell herbal teas, aromatherapy blends, or other wellness products that support reproductive health.
Write and publish a book: Doulas can write and publish books on topics related to reproductive health and wellness. For example, a doula could write a book on the benefits of natural childbirth or a guidebook for new parents.
Offer training and certification: Experienced doulas can offer training and certification programs for aspiring doulas. This can create a passive income stream for the doula while also helping to grow the profession and support new doulas in their careers.
Collaborate with other professionals: Doulas can collaborate with other professionals such as midwives, lactation consultants, and therapists to offer joint services or create referral networks or affiliate programs that generate additional income streams for all parties involved.
My story
Your personal story and expertise can be a powerful tool to write a book that resonates with readers and helps you establish yourself as an authority in the field. By sharing your unique experiences and insights, you can offer readers valuable guidance, inspiration, and perspective.
I used my doula expertise and personal story of having my daughter at home (unexpectedly!) in the middle of the pandemic to publish an e-book, Bask: An Evidence-based Blueprint to the Birth of Your Dreams. With a focus on mindfulness and evidence-based practices, I offer practical tips and tools to prepare for labor, as well as insights into postpartum recovery and self-care. I wrote this book with the specific intention of creating a safe space for Black birthing people who are often underrepresented and marginalized in traditional birth and parenting narratives. I had an empowering and fulfilling birth experience and wrote this book hoping the strategies I used can help others to achieve their dream birth. In addition to my daughter’s birth story, I shared my personal journey of overcoming vaginismus, learning more about the mind-body connection, and how I advocated for the physiologic, unmedicated birth that I desired.
So, how can you get started?
Take some time to reflect on your personal journey and identify the key themes and lessons that you have learned along the way. Consider how your experiences and expertise can help others overcome challenges, achieve their goals, or find meaning in their lives. Your story can change lives!
Once you have a clear idea of what you want to write about, start crafting your book’s outline and structure. Draw on your personal story and expertise to develop engaging anecdotes, examples, and case studies or white papers that illustrate your ideas and insights. As you write, be authentic and honest about your experiences and challenges. This will help you connect with readers on a deeper level and build trust and credibility with your audience.
Remember, writing a book based on your personal story and expertise takes time, effort, and dedication. But with a clear vision, a solid plan, and a passion for your subject matter, you can create a book that inspires, informs, and entertains readers while establishing yourself as an expert in your field.
Identify your purpose and audience: Determine the reason you want to write a book and who your target readers are. This will help you focus your message and ensure that your book resonates with your intended audience.
Develop your book idea: Use your personal story and expertise to develop a book idea that aligns with your purpose and audience. Consider the format, structure, and tone of your book and how you will present your ideas in an interesting and engaging way.
Research your market: Conduct market research to identify competing books and assess the demand for your topic. This will help you position your book in the market and ensure that it stands out from other titles.
Create an outline: Develop an outline that maps out the structure and content of your book. Use your personal story and expertise to identify the key themes, messages, and examples that you want to include.
Set a writing schedule: Establish a writing schedule that fits your lifestyle and commitments. Create a realistic timeline for completing your book and break down your writing tasks into manageable chunks.
Good luck finding your niche!
Angel Whaley is the Strategist of Tampa Bay Birth Network. She is a certified birth and postpartum doula and the founder of Bask Family Wellness in Tampa. With a diverse background including a master's in teaching and a bachelor’s in Human Development & Family Science, Angel is a well-rounded expert.