What you’ll learn about doula retirement planning in this post:

• Why standard retirement advice doesn’t fit the realities of doula work
• The moment that made me realize I needed to take doula retirement planning seriously
• A straightforward retirement account option designed for self-employed people
• How much other doulas are setting aside (and what financial experts recommend)
• How to get started even if your income feels unpredictable
• Why talking with a financial professional matters for your specific situation

Most Retirement Advice Wasn’t Written for You

If you’ve ever searched for retirement planning information, you’ve probably found a lot of confusing acronyms, contribution limits, and advice that assumes you have a traditional 9-to-5 job with an HR department handling everything.

Birth work rarely fits that mold. Many doulas work as independent contractors, run solo businesses, or rely on multiple income streams. There’s no employer offering a 401(k), no matching contributions, and often no paid time off.

Some doulas keep a day job specifically for the health insurance or retirement benefits. That can be a smart bridge while building your doula business. Others have partners whose jobs provide those benefits. But not everyone has that option, and relying on someone else’s benefits isn’t a long-term plan for everyone.

If doula work is your primary income, or you’re building toward that, you need to think about how you’ll take care of your future self. This is one of those unexpected business expenses that doesn’t show up on most new doula checklists, but it matters.

The Moment It Clicked for Me

I started thinking seriously about retirement planning when I was listening to my husband talk through his employer’s retirement options one year. He was comparing funds, looking at contribution percentages, making decisions about his future.

And it hit me: no one was doing this for me.

As a self-employed birth worker, there was no benefits meeting. No automatic enrollment. No employer match. If I wanted retirement savings, I had to figure it out myself.

That realization was uncomfortable. But it was also the push I needed to start learning about what options actually exist for people like us.

What I Learned from Other Doulas

When I started talking to other doulas about this, I found that many who had left corporate jobs had already set up retirement accounts for themselves. They weren’t waiting until they “made more money” or had a perfect system in place.

Several mentioned putting about 10% from each birth into a retirement account. Not a huge amount. Not a complicated formula. Just a consistent habit of paying their future selves first.

That 10% number stuck with me because it turns out it aligns with what financial experts recommend. According to financial advisors who work with self-employed people, saving 10 to 15% of your net income toward retirement is a solid target to aim for.

You don’t have to start there. But knowing that experienced doulas and financial professionals land on similar numbers made it feel more real and more doable.

A Retirement Account That Fits Self-Employed Doulas

One of the simplest and most flexible options for self-employed professionals is a SEP IRA (Simplified Employee Pension Individual Retirement Account).

You can read more about SEP IRAs directly from the IRS here: IRS Overview of SEP Plans.

Here’s why a SEP IRA works well for birth workers:

Simple to set up. You can open one online with a reputable company like Vanguard, Fidelity, or Charles Schwab. No complicated paperwork if you’re the only person in your business.

Flexible contributions. You choose how much to contribute each year based on what you earn. In a slower year, you contribute less. In a busier year, you can put more away.

Tax benefits. Contributions can lower your taxable income, and your investments grow tax-deferred until you withdraw them in retirement.

Room to grow. You can contribute up to 25% of your net self-employment income each year, up to the annual limit set by the IRS. That’s often higher than what you could put into a standard IRA.

How to Set Up a SEP IRA

1. Choose your provider. Look for an established company that allows you to open an account online. Vanguard, Fidelity, and Schwab are all solid options. (This is separate from choosing the right bank account for your day-to-day business finances.)

2. Complete the setup form. You’ll enter basic information about your business, even if you’re a sole proprietor. (If you haven’t set up your EIN yet, that’s a good first step.)

3. Add money when you can. You can contribute any amount, at any time, up until the tax filing deadline for that year. Some doulas contribute after each birth. Others make a lump sum contribution when they do their taxes.

4. Select an investment. A low-cost index fund or target-date fund is a simple place to start. If you’re unsure, you can begin with cash contributions and get guidance later.

You don’t need a financial adviser to open a SEP IRA, but talking with one can help if you want personalized guidance.

“But I Don’t Have Enough Money to Start”

This is the most common worry I hear from doulas when I talk about doula retirement planning, and I understand it. When you’re building a business, it can feel like every dollar needs to go toward the present, not the future. (If you’re still figuring out how much doulas actually make, that uncertainty makes it even harder to think long-term.)

Here’s what helped me shift my thinking: you don’t have to start with a lot. You don’t have to contribute the maximum. You just have to start. If you’re pricing your services intentionally, you can build retirement contributions into your fee structure from the beginning.

Even $50 after a birth. Even $100 a month during busier seasons. The habit matters more than the amount at first.

The doulas who told me about their retirement savings didn’t start with big contributions. They started with what they could manage and built from there. Ten years later, they had real money set aside because they began when it felt small and insignificant.

Waiting until you “have enough” often means waiting forever.

Other Retirement Accounts Worth Knowing About

Every doula’s situation is different. Here are a few other options to ask about when you speak with a financial professional:

Solo 401(k): Allows higher contributions than a SEP IRA but involves more paperwork. Worth considering if you want to save aggressively.

Traditional IRA or Roth IRA: Open to anyone with earned income. The contribution limits are smaller, but they’re a good starting point if you’re just beginning.

HSA (Health Savings Account): If you have a qualifying high-deductible health plan, an HSA can double as a tax-advantaged way to save for future health expenses. The money rolls over year to year and can be invested.

You can learn more about retirement plan options for self-employed people from the U.S. Department of Labor and the IRS.

Why This Matters for Your Doula Career

For many doulas, retirement planning feels like something to deal with “later.” The problem is, later arrives faster than we expect. And the earlier you start, even with small amounts, the more time your money has to grow.

Think of it as another form of support. Only this time, you’re supporting your future self. Financial stress is one of the factors that contribute to doula burnout, and planning ahead is one way to protect yourself from it.

I also want to be clear: I’m not a financial adviser. The specifics of what works best for your doula retirement planning depend on your income, your tax situation, and your goals. Talk with a CPA, accountant, or financial adviser who understands self-employment. You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to start asking questions.

The sooner you plan, the better prepared you’ll be to keep doing the work you love without financial stress down the road. If you haven’t already, consider adding retirement savings to your basic business plan so it becomes part of how you think about your doula career from the start.

Keep the Conversation Going

Financial security is part of making birth work sustainable. Join the Doula Business Community to connect with other doulas who are figuring out how to make their businesses work for today and for the futu