HOW TO HIRE · CHILDCARE & FAMILY · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire a doula in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
A doula in Ireland costs €500–€2,000 per package, typically around €1,000. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring a doula in five steps
- Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers doula work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — postpartum Support — after the baby arrives, doulas can offer support in areas like infant care, breastfeeding assistance, and emotional well-being.
- How does services offered change the price?It changes both what is used and how long it takes. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does their experience change the price?A provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does duration of support required change the price?The clock starts when the provider arrives, not when the work does. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Educational Guidance — doulas offer evidence-based information on childbirth, breastfeeding, and newborn care — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a doula job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No statutory register applies
No statutory register applies to this treatment in Ireland. The Department of Health's own position is that people who provide complementary therapies are not subject to professional statutory regulation, though consumer, competition, contract and criminal law still apply to them. CORU registers health and social care professions by protected title — dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists, speech and language therapists and the rest — and this is not one of them, so nobody practising it can be 'CORU registered' and a claim to be is describing something that does not exist. There are voluntary registers run by professional bodies, and they are worth something: a body that can strike somebody off is a body with a complaints procedure. None of them is the law.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
Professional indemnity insurance, the insurer's name and the limit — for a hands-on treatment this is the only recourse that exists; The qualification and who awarded it, by name — then look the awarding body up yourself rather than taking the certificate on the wall as the check; Membership of a professional body, and whether that body has a complaints procedure you could actually use; How many hours of training the qualification took, because in an unregistered field a weekend course and a three-year diploma carry the same word on the certificate; What the session includes, how long it is and what a cancellation costs, in writing before the first one; Garda vetting where the treatment is for a child or a vulnerable adult, which is a legal requirement for that work under the National Vetting Bureau Acts.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Insurance
Expect professional indemnity insurance as well as public liability — ask for the insurer and the limit. You are booking an individual for a set number of hours, so ask whether the ID has been checked and what the rating is from people who booked the same way — there is no company behind them to carry either.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 13.5%, the reduced rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. An individual working under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge VAT at all, and does not have a VAT number to give you.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: No register covers doula work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — postpartum Support — after the baby arrives, doulas can offer support in areas like infant care, breastfeeding assistance, and emotional well-being.
A good answer: It changes both what is used and how long it takes. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: A provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: The clock starts when the provider arrives, not when the work does. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Educational Guidance — doulas offer evidence-based information on childbirth, breastfeeding, and newborn care — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a doula job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect professional indemnity insurance as well as public liability — ask for the insurer and the limit — physical Assistance — doulas assist with physical comfort measures such as breathing techniques, positioning, and massage during labour.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the doula starts, and an itemised invoice after — emotional Support — doulas provide continuous emotional support during pregnancy, labour, and postpartum.
Booking by the hour
- The rate per hour, and whether it changes in the evening or at a weekend
- The minimum booking, and what happens if the job finishes early
- What they bring and what you supply
- Whether the ID has been checked, and the rating from people who booked the same way
- Insurance, where the work can damage something or somebody
- The hours and the list of what is to be done, agreed before the first one
Walk away if
- They will not talk about it: services offered — it changes both what is used and how long it takes
- They will not talk about it: their experience — a provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in
- They will not talk about it: duration of support required — the clock starts when the provider arrives, not when the work does
- A price for the doula before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
- No written quote, or one that moves once the doula has begun
What a doula costs: €500–€2,000 per package
The figures are for the job, per package, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Birth doula and Postpartum doula each carry their own band. Doula price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Doulas near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- Look firstServices offered — it changes both what is used and how long it takes — that is what the doula is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneTheir experience — a provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfDuration of support required — the clock starts when the provider arrives, not when the work does — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherComplexity of your needs — complexity usually means a more experienced person on the job — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the doula is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, doulas do not provide medical care but complement the work of healthcare professionals.
- Emotional Support
- Doulas provide continuous emotional support during pregnancy, labour, and postpartum.
- Physical Assistance
- Doulas assist with physical comfort measures such as breathing techniques, positioning, and massage during labour.
- Educational Guidance
- Doulas offer evidence-based information on childbirth, breastfeeding, and newborn care.
- Postpartum Support
- After the baby arrives, doulas can offer support in areas like infant care, breastfeeding assistance, and emotional well-being.
- Birth Doula
- Provides continuous support during labour and delivery, helping with comfort measures and communication with medical staff.
- Postpartum Doula
- Offers assistance after childbirth, including help with infant care, breastfeeding support, and household tasks.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring a doula: questions people ask
The cost of hiring a doula can vary based on experience, location, and the services offered. Doulas with specialised training or certifications may charge higher rates, and those in urban areas often have higher fees due to demand.
Doula services can vary in duration, typically spanning from prenatal visits through labour and into the postpartum period. Most doulas offer packages that may include several hours of support before, during, and after childbirth.
While any doula can provide support, hiring a qualified specialist may be beneficial for specific needs, such as high-risk pregnancies or specialised postpartum care. It's important to discuss qualifications and experience with potential doulas.
Yes, many doulas offer packages that include prenatal education, labour support, and postpartum assistance. Booking multiple services can often lead to a more cohesive support experience and may provide cost savings.
Doulas do not provide medical care, such as delivering the baby or performing clinical assessments. Their role is to offer emotional and physical support, education, and guidance, while medical decisions should be left to healthcare professionals.
No statutory register applies to this treatment in Ireland. The Department of Health's own position is that people who provide complementary therapies are not subject to professional statutory regulation, though consumer, competition, contract and criminal law still apply to them. CORU registers health and social care professions by protected title — dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists, speech and language therapists and the rest — and this is not one of them, so nobody practising it can be 'CORU registered' and a claim to be is describing something that does not exist. There are voluntary registers run by professional bodies, and they are worth something: a body that can strike somebody off is a body with a complaints procedure. None of them is the law.
MORE GUIDES
More hiring guides in childcare & family
Doulas near you
Sources — checked October 2026
- Department of Health — complementary therapies (updated 26 October 2020)
- CORU — public protection FAQs: which registers are open
- Value-Added Tax Consolidation Act 2010, Schedule 1 — exempt activities
- Consumer Rights Act 2022
- Courts Service — small claims
- Revenue — VAT rates
- Revenue — MASSAGE SERVICES ( Supply of ) — Reduced rate
- Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
- Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only