Postpartum doula home visits

New parents, including those with twins, a difficult birth or no family nearby, and relatives who buy visits as a gift.

Hourly rate or block of visits, with a higher rate for overnight shifts. Regular clients for several weeks give steady bookings.

• Patience and warmth with new parents
• Knowledge of newborn care and infant feeding basics
• Reliable and trustworthy in people's homes
• Non-judgmental support for different parenting styles

• Stay within scope: do not give medical advice or diagnose feeding or health problems, and refer to a health professional
• Check commercial general liability insurance and whether you want a criminal record check, which many families expect
• Overnight work is tiring, so check how many shifts you can sustain
• Client illness and winter driving can cause cancellations, so write a clear cancellation policy
• Check whether you need a municipal business licence and when to register for GST/HST
• If you hire other doulas later, check provincial WCB/WSIB rules and whether they are employees or contractors

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $600 to $2,000, depending on your training, insurance, record check and the basic supplies and marketing you need. Treat this as an estimate and check what local families expect from a doula.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $800 to $4,000, depending on how many visits or overnight shifts you take, your rates and local demand. Client illness and winter driving can cause cancellations, so a clear cancellation policy helps.

Stay within scope and do not give medical advice. Check commercial general liability insurance, whether to get a criminal record check, any municipal business licence, and GST/HST registration. If you hire other doulas later, check provincial WCB/WSIB rules.