For those who might wonder, the main difference between having a doula
and having a relative or friend with you while you
labor is that while your loved ones can share their experiences based on a handful (at most)
births, most doulas have assisted at dozens or more
births (many have assisted hundreds,) know hospital
policies, often know the hospital staff,
and are professionals.
And honestly, if they can't afford a hospital birth, chances are they can't afford a homebirth midwife — who are generally not cheap, who will not generally make payment arrangements (or rather, will not make the same type hospitals make, payable after the fact and in small monthly increments for years; midwife payment arrangements tend to be along the lines of «Half the fee at the first appointment, and the other half a month or two later»), and who will not deliver a baby without having been paid in full prior to onset of labor (I don't have a statistic, but it seems most midwives have this particular payment policy, and payment is non-refundabl
And honestly, if they can't afford a hospital
birth, chances are they can't afford a homebirth midwife — who are generally not cheap, who will not generally make payment arrangements (or rather, will not make the same type hospitals make, payable after the fact
and in small monthly increments for years; midwife payment arrangements tend to be along the lines of «Half the fee at the first appointment, and the other half a month or two later»), and who will not deliver a baby without having been paid in full prior to onset of labor (I don't have a statistic, but it seems most midwives have this particular payment policy, and payment is non-refundabl
and in small monthly increments
for years; midwife payment arrangements tend to be along the lines of «Half the fee at the first appointment,
and the other half a month or two later»), and who will not deliver a baby without having been paid in full prior to onset of labor (I don't have a statistic, but it seems most midwives have this particular payment policy, and payment is non-refundabl
and the other half a month or two later»),
and who will not deliver a baby without having been paid in full prior to onset of labor (I don't have a statistic, but it seems most midwives have this particular payment policy, and payment is non-refundabl
and who will not deliver a baby without having been paid in full prior to onset of
labor (I don't have a statistic, but it seems most midwives have this particular payment
policy,
and payment is non-refundabl
and payment is non-refundable).