This week we’re spotlighting home Care Specialists! We interviewed Kelsie Louise Craig, a doula based in Nashville, TN to talk about independent contracting and… What is a doula?
By nature of classification, an independent contractor must have control over their hours, rate, and who they do business with. For this reason, many people who hire a home care specialist opt to pay that person as an employee, not as an independent contractor.
When hired care is not ongoing, however, you will find more people operating as independent contractors, even if they work through an agency. One example of a professional who provides temporary, as-needed care is a doula.
We interviewed Kelsie Louise Craig, a doula based in Nashville, TN, who is paid as an independent contractor.
What is a doula?
DONA International defines a doula as “a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to their client before, during and shortly after childbirth to help them achieve the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible.”
Throughout most of human history, childbirth has been attended by community members, midwives, and family, not only medical professionals. In the past century, the advancement of sterilization and modern medicine has made childbirth much safer. However, childbirth is still a difficult and potentially traumatizing experience. Doulas aim to bring the community support back into the act of childbirth and postpartum care. Studies show that “Doulas should be viewed as a valuable, evidence-based member of the birth care team.” It is important to understand that doulas are not medical providers and are not meant to replace a physician.
Kelsie works as a full-spectrum birth doula. “As a Birth Doula I give informational, emotional and physical support before, during and shortly after birth to help provide a positive outcome. I provide help to pregnant people in any part of their pregnancy journey. Most of my work is as a birth doula.”
If you’re wondering why she’s specifying that she’s a birth doula, that’s because there’s an increase in popularity for death (or end-of-life) doulas. They may seem like polar opposites, but the differences aren’t as extreme as you might think. In both cases, the doula provides traditional community support to an individual or family as they make a huge transition.
“It’s about support,” Kelsie says––no matter the type of doula.
The job can be grueling. Think eighteen-hour-long labors and surprise calls in the middle of the night that a client has gone into labor. Despite the difficulty, being a doula is an incredibly rewarding experience. Kelsie says, “It’s really special to be invited into the sacred space on this special day that families will remember for the rest of their lives.”
From money collection to advertisement, there are definite pros to working with an agency. Many doulas prefer the built-in backup an agency provides, given the unpredictable nature of birth. What would happen if you had a family emergency… but then your client went into labor nine weeks early? While that’s not ideal, working with an agency would ensure that the client would have a trained doula, even if it isn’t you. Someone working as a true solo entity would need to have backups planned for events such as that, even if they are rare.
Independent contracting
Though she works through an agency, Kelsie is an independent contractor. She also takes private clients outside of the agency.
Many doulas work as independent contractors, while others are classified as employees. This varies agency to agency, and doula to doula. Many doulas maintain other flexible gigs in addition to their doula services.
When Kelsie became a doula, she knew she’d be working as an independent contractor. Kelsie says the benefits of being an independent contractor are the ability to set her own rates and decide how many clients to take on at a time. Another perk is being able to decide who to work with. No matter what services a doula offers, it is a seriously intimate job, so having a good rapport with the client and their family is a must!
Independent contractors will find the cons quite familiar… “Self employment taxes!” Kelsie says. Though, she adds, “The more you do it, the better you get at it.” Don’t we know!
Kelsie hopes that more people will become doulas. She advises, “Get trained by an organization that aligns with your values. Watch birth videos and attend births. Read books and educate yourself.”
When it comes to managing oneself as an independent contractor, Kelsie has additional advice: “Set your hours for business! You can not be available 365 24/7. I’m not talking about being on-call for a birth. Set aside days you are off and set hours clients can meet with you.”
Should you hire a doula?
If you’re expecting a big life event, such as birth, a death in the family, or if you experience another traumatic event such as miscarriage or postpartum depression––there’s a doula for that. Check your local organizations to see if they have someone to meet your needs. You may have to pay out-of-pocket, but more and more insurance plans are starting to cover doula services.