Postpartum Doula? Think Beyond Basic Bookkeeping

By Jen Chandlee | December 9, 2025

So you’ve started your postpartum doula business. You’ve got your business bank account open. You have a bookkeeping system set up. And (hopefully!) money is coming in… now what? 

It’s time to take the long view as a postpartum doula. In order for your care giving work to be truly sustainable, it will need to see you through things like

  • self-employment taxes
  • reinvesting in your business, for example, hiring someone to set up a website
  • any unexpected or extended time off due to pregnancy, illness, injury, etc
  • retirement
  • vacation time
  • health insurance premiums
  • and whatever else life throws our way financially

Before diving in…

I do want to acknowledge that not all postpartum doulas make enough money early on, or at times along the way, to take all or even any of these financial steps. There were stretches of my career when I was solo parenting where I couldn’t contribute even $20 a month to a savings or retirement account. I didn’t have a partner to share household expenses with, or any source of income outside of my own. In other words, I truly get the impact of financial insecurity. And I am lucky to have come through it to the other side, at least enough to (hopefully) retire when I need to.

As I often say in my postpartum doula trainings, most of us are just out here trying to survive capitalism. We might need a side hustle to make ends meet. Or to stay in a full or part time job while building the doula business. It is my hope that learning about some simple, though not always easy, strategies around money will help you get closer to not just surviving financially, but really thriving. Let’s take a look at some financial considerations as a postpartum doula.

First up, the unavoidable postpartum doula task of paying taxes.

Unless you’ve been hired as an employee by a doula agency or program, you are most likely in the self-employed category. As such, having a really good bookkeeping system is a must; a place to track all of your postpartum doula business-related income and expenses. 

Then set up an interest-bearing business savings account.

Transfer roughly whatever percentage of your postpartum doula income reflects your tax bracket. For example, if your total earnings (including other sources of income) is between $47,151 and $100,525 then as of 2025, you are in the 22% tax bracket. Therefore you would want to save about $22 of every $100 a client pays you. That way not only will you have money saved to pay the IRS and State taxes, you’ll have potentially earned some passive income in the form of interest on that savings account. With any luck, you may even have some funds left over if you had tax deductions. 

Sidenote: This is probably a good time to remind you to track your miles- it is surprising how quickly they add up and can give you a nice tax deduction! 

Next on the list of things to consider as a postpartum doula is an emergency fund.

The goal is to save up the equivalent of three to six months worth of living expenses in a separate personal high-yield savings account or money market. If life takes a left turn and you are unable to work as a postpartum doula for an extended period of time, you’ll have some peace of mind with money in the bank. Compound interest is your friend, my friend. Seriously, it’s your financial bestie. 

Now let’s talk retirement.

Most postpartum doulas can’t or don’t want to work until our time on this incredible planet comes to an end. Having a plan in place, aka, enough money, to transition out of postpartum doula work is vital. For many self-employed folks, a Roth IRA is a great place to start, though it is not the best choice for everyone. You’ll need to do some research or ask a financial planner what’s right for you. There are many options, and now with robo-investing it is easier and less expensive than ever to open a retirement account, including investments that may be more aligned with your values.

And that brings us to auto-transfers. Set up monthly recurring contributions not only to your retirement account but also your savings accounts so that you don’t have to think about it- just set it and forget it. 

Over time, and with creative strategies, even just a few dollars here and there do add up. Postpartum doulas can build financial stability, and can even thrive financially in this caregiving role.