Pricing Your Services (& showing your face) for Birth Pros

 
how to price doula services
 

Pre- birth nerd life, I had a fashion blog (‘17). Notice anything from these pics from that (short lived) era? (aside from my lacking fashion sense)

 
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I finally gathered the courage to leave my job, start a business, and I still couldn’t look people in the eyes. For a FASHION BLOG business, which required taking photos! My poor photographer - she was so patient, trying to get me to smile at the camera - but I was the WORST subject.

I didn’t realize it was possible for someone to try to hide while taking photos, to try to make myself smaller with body language that whispered ‘please don’t look at me.’

Perhaps you know the feeling, because we’ve eaten from the same bowl of BS our entire lives.

Here we have a digital photo representation of our conditioning as women - Avoid eye contact to feel safe. Be seen, not heard (even when your body speaks).

This brainwashing to make ourselves smaller shows up in every area of our lives, including our finances.

It’s our whispers during salary negotiations. 

It’s our discomfort when we discuss our pricing for Doula services with expecting families.

Underneath this is a question - a doubt - of our self-worth.

My first blog wasn’t ‘successful’ if you measure in dollars. But, it led me to the next layer that needed healing. It was a necessary step on this path.

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You might not start out as the woman that negotiates for more, uses her voice, looks people in the eyes, and charges her worth in her birth business.

It begins with calling BS on the lies we’ve been told about our value. Once you know your worth, you won’t settle for less.

It’s not for the faint of heart, I know. Keep going, keep unraveling all of this crap, so that we can live to see…

  • Black women earning dollar for dollar that white men earn.

  • Women of all shapes and colors in presidential debates.

  • Sustainable birth businesses that support BOTH your family and more expecting families.

Keep taking one step at a time on your path, because it’s beautiful over here on the other side. It’s safe to show your face and take up space.

 
 
Birth ProsNichole Blackbirth professional, doula, birth doula, postpartum doula, fertility doula, prenatal chiropractor, prenatal yoga instructor