The Birth Geeks' Podcast

We're tackling a tough subject for birth doulas in this week's episode: induction arrival. When do you join your clients and how do you communicate with them before and during an induction? Speaking from our experience as birth doulas, we're talking about approaches we've seen work and some that haven't too. As birth doulas, at some point you will absolutely have a client be induced, and planning ahead can make a world of difference in everyone's experience, including the doula's.

Insurance coverage for doulas sounds like a win for everyone. More clients, broader access, sustainable practice. But the reality is messier than the headline, and Dr. Robin Elise Weiss and Dr. Hillary Melchiors have both lived that reality from opposite sides of the billing process. Robin brings a background in health management system sciences, years of taking insurance as a doula, and experience running an oral surgery practice where insurance claims were part of every single day. Hillary brings the on-the-ground perspective of a doula agency owner who has navigated company benefits, watched payment timelines stretch, and done the math on whether Medicaid reimbursement rates actually pencil out. Together, they unpack what it genuinely means to accept insurance as a birth professional.

This episode covers the credentialing process, the critical distinction between insurance and company benefits like the Walmart employee program, balance billing rights, and the hidden contractual traps that can turn a missed call into a fraud risk if you are not paying attention. FSA and HSA accounts get real attention here as a lower-barrier starting point for most doulas, along with Robin's "open season" approach to client education each fall. The conversation is practical and honest, including a frank look at why insurance-based doula work may make sense as one piece of a mixed caseload rather than the foundation of a sustainable practice.

No-shows are one of those topics birth professionals talk about in private but rarely address out loud. In this episode, Dr. Robin Elise Weiss and Dr. Hillary Melchiors get into both types of no-shows that doulas actually deal with: the potential client who ghosts a consultation, and the client who goes into labor without ever picking up the phone. They share what they've done to reduce no-shows before they happen, how to respond when they do, and why extending grace doesn't mean abandoning your systems.

Lisa Vee, aka Loudmouth Lisa, is a doula business strategist and coach who brings her whole heart to this work with the flare of the dancer and salesperson background that she brings to the table. In this episode we talk about attracting clients, pricing your services, shifting priorities, and more. Enjoy!

Maggie Runyon became a nurse to help and found out quickly that saving the entire healthcare system and everyone in it was a fast ticket to burnout. In this interview we discuss her book I Thought I Was Here to Help, along with strategies for advocacy, community, & support for all of us that work as perinatal professionals.

Rural medicine, Indian Health Service, MD advocacy, and so much more

The messy magic of being a doula! In this episode of The Birth Geeks, we sit down with Dr. Andrea Ford, anthropologist, doula, and author of Near Birth, to explore the strange, powerful, and often contradictory world of modern birthwork.

What even is a doula today? A sister or a professional? A rebel or a regulated service? A support system or a scapegoat?

We unpack it ALL: The tension between respect and reimbursement

• Why doulas are praised for outcomes they can't control
• What happens when community care meets institutional demands
• And how birthwork quietly challenges American values about bodies, power, and autonomy

If you've ever wrestled with your role in the birth space or wondered how being "near birth" is as political as it is personal, this conversation will hit home. Listen now.

How do you go from spreadsheets to spinning babies, and end up on national perinatal boards? In this episode, Hillary sits down with LaToshia Rouse, a birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, and speaker who brings her whole self (and sometimes her whole family!) to the work of changing maternal care from the inside out.

We talk about:

• Parenting triplets and how NICU life shaped LaToshia's why

• How doulas can support clients without overextending themselves

• What it really takes to build connections with hospital systems

• Why flexibility, strong boundaries, and knowing your season are everything

You'll laugh, nod along, and walk away feeling like you've just made a new doula bestie.

Today on The Birth Geeks, we spoke with Dr. Sarah Rubin about her research on motherhood and postpartum depression in South Africa. She shared eye-opening insights on how culture and social support shape the experiences of new mothers, especially in under-resourced communities. We dove into the challenges of measuring mental health across cultures and why context matters in global maternal health. This episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about birth, wellness, and understanding the bigger picture.