DC Birth Doulas

What DC Birth Doulas does

DC Birth Doulas is a Washington, DC-based group practice of birth and postpartum doulas founded in 2015 by Sarah Paksima, serving expectant and new families across the DC, Maryland, and Virginia metro area. The company delivers continuous perinatal support through a multi-person team of 40+ practitioners that includes birth doulas, postpartum doulas, IBCLC-certified lactation consultants, perinatal massage therapists, educators, and student doulas. Its core differentiator is structural: the group model eliminates the coverage gap inherent in solo doula practices, ensuring clients receive uninterrupted support from contract signing through birth regardless of individual doula illness or scheduling conflicts, with flat-rate pricing that does not bill by labor duration.

The company's product architecture centers on integrated bundled packages — Birth & Beginnings Bundles range from $2,300 (birth + classes) up to $8,910 (combined day and night postpartum shifts with infant feeding and massage) — alongside standalone birth doula support ($2,100), postpartum shifts sold in blocks ($1,520–$6,880), à la carte perinatal classes ($150–$250), and specialty add-ons including IBCLC consultations and massage therapy. Technology infrastructure is minimal and third-party: booking and contracts are managed through 17hats, virtual classes delivered via standard video conferencing, and lactation communications through secure patient portals. No proprietary platform, mobile app, or disclosed AI/automation capabilities exist.

Commercial operations are direct-to-consumer with self-serve website intake, supplemented by monthly virtual 'Meet the Doulas' events, peer support circles, and Instagram/Facebook organic presence as the primary acquisition channels. The company accepts employer fertility benefits through integrations with Carrot, Maven, and Progyny, enabling B2B2C distribution. The business also operates a professional development ecosystem — the Doula Learning Collaborative for newly trained doulas and an authorized Lamaze Community Birth Educator Training program (with Paksima as Program Director) — that doubles as a talent pipeline and a lower-priced student doula offering. The company is privately held by founder Sarah Paksima with no disclosed external funding, and Amy Battjer serves as Business Director.

Name

DC Birth Doulas

Legal name

DC Birth Doulas

Website

https://dcbirthdoulas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DC Birth Doulas is a Washington, DC group practice founded in 2015 that delivers birth, postpartum, lactation, and perinatal education services to families across the DC metro area through a 40+ person team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Perinatal Support Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (6244), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Lactation, Postpartum & Perinatal Support Services (HLAFAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Newborn Care Specialist Placement, Matching & Staffing Services (HSAAACAK), Postpartum Newborn Care & Parent Education (NCS) (HSAAACAA), Newborn/Infant Mother’s Helper Support (HSAAAGAB), Feeding Support & Newborn Nutrition Care (NCS) (HSAAACAC)

Keywords

• Birth doula services
• Postpartum doula support
• Perinatal education classes
• Lactation consulting services
• Infant feeding support

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Birth Doula Services: One-time flat fee for birth doula support including prenatal consultation, phone/email support, in-person labor support, and postpartum debrief. Available as standalone service or bundled with classes and postpartum support.
2. Bundled Service Packages: Comprehensive packages combining birth doula support, perinatal education classes, peer circles, movement sessions, postpartum doula shifts, and optional add-ons (massage, lactation). Priced as fixed bundles ranging from $2,300 to $8,910 depending on included services and shift counts.
3. Postpartum Doula Services: Hourly-based daytime (4-hour minimum) and overnight (8-hour minimum) shifts, sold in packages of 4-12 shifts. Can be purchased standalone as 'Beginnings Bundles' or as add-ons to birth packages. Extended support available for parents returning to work.
4. Perinatal Education Classes: A la carte classes including Childbirth Prep ($150), Postpartum Prep ($150), or bundled as a 12-hour Class Bundle ($250). Virtual delivery allows scalable access.
5. Specialty Add-Ons: Perinatal massage therapy (5 sessions for $1,000), infant feeding bundle with IBCLC support ($1,120 standalone, $900 as add-on), and student doula support ($800). These represent upsell opportunities within the customer journey.
6. Lactation Consulting (IBCLC): One-hour telehealth consultations included in standard birth bundles, with full infant feeding bundles providing three in-home consultations plus telehealth and secure messaging. Most insurance plans cover IBCLC support; superbills provided for reimbursement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DC Birth Doulas is a group practice that sells birth doula support, postpartum doula shifts, perinatal education classes, IBCLC lactation consultations, perinatal massage therapy, peer support circles, and mindful movement classes to expectant and new families in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Service is delivered via a hybrid of in-person labor/postpartum support and virtual classes, packaged as standalone offerings or comprehensive bundles such as the Birth & Beginnings Bundles ranging from $2,300 to $8,910.

Product overview

DC Birth Doulas is a group practice offering comprehensive perinatal support services across pregnancy, birth, and postpartum periods. The company operates a multi-tiered service model anchored by Birth & Beginnings Bundles that combine birth doula support, postpartum doula services (day/night shifts), childbirth and postpartum education classes, peer support circles, mindful movement series, lactation consulting, and massage therapy. Additional offerings include standalone Birth Doula Support, Student Birth Doula Support at reduced rates, Beginnings Bundles (postpartum-only packages), and a la carte classes. The company also provides professional development through its Doula Learning Collaborative for new doulas and Lamaze Community Birth Educator Training programs. Services are delivered via a hybrid model combining virtual classes, telehealth consultations, and in-person birth/postpartum support across the Washington, DC metro area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Birth Doula Support

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported 5,000+ families since 2015 with consistent, high-quality care

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CarrotminorOthersDC Birth Doulas works with Carrot employee fertility benefit plans, customizing service bundles for Carrot members and assisting with the pre-approval and reimbursement process. Carrot provides fertility, pregnancy, and family-building benefits to employers.
• MavenminorOthersDC Birth Doulas partners with Maven Clinic to provide services covered under Maven fertility and family benefits. The company helps design custom packages for Maven members and navigate the pre-approval and reimbursement workflow.
• ProgynyminorOthersDC Birth Doulas accepts Progyny smart fertility benefits, designing customized bundles for Progyny members and supporting them through the pre-approval and reimbursement process.
• Lamaze InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDC Birth Doulas operates an authorized Lamaze Community Birth Educator Training program. Sarah Paksima serves as Lamaze Program Director and Amber Wright and Shaleen Ford serve as Lamaze Trainers. The company trains aspiring perinatal educators to teach evidence-based birth preparation classes using Lamaze methodology.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Birthsmarter: Group practice offering childbirth and postpartum classes plus doula matching services. Comparable to DCBD's education-plus-support integrated model, with similar mid-premium positioning and class-driven customer acquisition.
• Manhattan Birth: NYC-based group birth and postpartum doula practice offering bundled services, classes, and lactation support. Operates a similar group-practice model with high-AOV integrated packages and an in-person plus virtual delivery mix comparable to DCBD.
• Birth You Desire: Washington DC metro area birth and postpartum doula practice offering childbirth education and birth support services. Competes head-to-head with DCBD in the same DC/Virginia/Maryland geography with a comparable service catalog.
• Capitol Hill Doulas: Washington DC area group doula practice serving the same metropolitan market as DCBD with birth and postpartum support services. Directly competes for the same customer segment within the same geography.

Others

• Maven Clinic: Digital family-building benefits platform and DCBD partner offering virtual care plus reimbursement for in-person doula services. Represents both a distribution partner and a broader incumbent in the employer-paid perinatal benefits space.
• Progyny: Employer fertility benefits platform and DCBD partner providing family-building benefit coverage that DCBD bundles plug into. Functions as a B2B2C reimbursement channel for DCBD's premium service packages.
• Lamaze International: Childbirth education credentialing organization that partners with DCBD to operate the Lamaze Community Birth Educator Training program. Acts as both an enabling partner and the standards body whose certification DCBD's educators carry.
• Carrot Fertility: B2B2C fertility and family-building benefits platform that is also an active DCBD distribution partner. Operates as both a channel partner and adjacent ecosystem player connecting employers with doulas and perinatal services like DCBD.

Emerging players

• Mahmee: Digital maternal health platform offering virtual perinatal support, lactation consulting, and care coordination. Targets a similar expectant-parent customer base with a tech-enabled service model that overlaps with DCBD's lactation and education offerings.
• Motherly: Digital media and commerce platform serving expectant and new mothers with content, classes, and product recommendations. Competes for the same end-customer attention and education wallet share with a content-first, technology-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dcbirthdoulas
• Instagraminstagram.com/dcbirthdoulas
• Xx.com/dcbirthdoulas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dc-birth-doulas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DC Birth Doulas