Awesome Thank You Gifts for Doulas
If you’d like to give your doula a gift to say thanks for everything they did for you, we have some ideas!
First of all, THANK YOU for wanting to say thank you!
Like most people, doulas really appreciate being told how valuable their work is for the families they support. And most doulas aren’t expecting anything beyond what their clients have already invested in their services. So it’s absolutely lovely of you to want to do a little extra something for your doula!
The number one way to say thank you: Get the word out about how awesome your doula is!
If you haven’t already, leave a glowing review online wherever your doula collects those (Google, Yelp, DoulaMatch, etc.) and encourage your doula to share your review on their website too.
Share on social media how awesome your doula was for you and your family (remember to tag their business profile in your posts).
Refer your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors their way for support! If you know someone who is welcoming a new baby, share your awesome doula’s information with them with a note about why you loved working with them so much.
Give them the one thing many doulas DON’T have enough of: Photos of themselves in action!
Doulas are great at fading into the background and are often the ones snapping some photos during labor or those early postpartum weeks, so we often aren’t in many pictures.
But it’s so special to us to have photos of us working with clients! And if given permission to use them on our online platforms, these kinds of photos can be really helpful to give other parents an idea of what it actually looks like to work with us.
If you have any photos of your doula at work, sending them the files along with permission to use any you’re comfortable with online would be an amazing gift!
If you love an image of your doula working, you could also consider gifting them a piece of handmade art based on the photo.
If you want to get a gift card, here are some options to consider:
Bodywork treatments
Tons of options here, including massage (usually a pretty safe bet), acupuncture, chiropractic care, magnesium float therapy, and more. If you aren’t sure what they’d love, ask!Local coffee shop or ice cream joint
Doulas love a delicious pick-me-up. One of our local faves is Mercurio’s gelato!Local health food store
Doulas can always use snacks! We can also purchase some supplies to use with our clients at health food stores so this gift can do double-duty. The East End Food Co-op is a great option in Pgh.Local restaurant you know they’d love
A thoughtful gift that can also take the form of a night out with a partner or friend - lovely! Make sure to find out if your doula has any special dietary needs so you can get them something they will truly be able to enjoy. (Our local favorites are Jade Grille and The Melting Pot.)Local bakery
Such a treat! Again, find out if your doula has any allergies or special dietary needs to make sure they’ll be able to enjoy it. (Hint: Baked True North is a great option for gluten-free and dairy-free, Gluten Free Goat has gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free options, and Kaibur Coffee has a great vegan selection.)Photography session
Gift your doula with a professional photography session to capture their family and/or update images on their website.Mountain Rose Herbs
From teas to aromatherapy to body care products, doulas are sure to find something to love from this company, whether for themselves or their clients.Moo.com
Moo is a high-quality printing company. Their business cards, postcards, brochures, etc. are wonderful, but pricey… so this could be a great gift to help your doula get some really nice marketing materials!Local bookstore
Doulas love to learn, and supporting a local bookshop like The Tiny Bookstore at the same time is even better! If your doula likes audiobooks like we do, Libro.fm is an audiobook service that allows you to support local bookstores - win win!The Educated Birth or Childbirth Graphics
These are great resources for birth professionals with infographics and teaching aids to share with clients. Many doulas skimp on items like this, so it’s a special treat to be able to choose new resources for our collection.The gift of time: house cleaning, professional organizing, car wash, etc.
So many options here! These kinds of gifts are super appreciated for doulas since our lives on-call can often feel pretty chaotic.The gift of learning: art classes, cooking classes, dance classes, etc.
Doulas are always learning more about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum… help your doula learn something completely different with a fun class!The gift of experiences and entertainment: live performances, museums, zoos, movies, etc.
Many options here too! This is a great way to help your doula do something fun that has nothing to do with work.
If you’d rather give your doula something tangible:
Pro tip: Resist the urge to gift a doula-related mug, bracelet, or t-shirt! Chances are if your doula is into these, they’ve already received several over the years.
A beautiful piece with one of our favorite quotes made by a special client
Something you make. We’ve received some amazing handmade gifts from clients who enjoy creating things with their hands. Always meaningful!
Spill-proof water bottle or insulated coffee cup to take with them while they work
Hand cream. Yu-Be is a great one - no artificial fragrance, non-comedogenic, and long-lasting. Professional Japanese mountain climbers use it when ascending Mount Everest, so it’s well able to keep doula hands moisturized while working in dry environments!
Book for their library (ask before you buy or make sure to include a gift receipt - the extent of some doulas’ libraries may surprise you!)
Item for their doula bag. Ask them if there’s a special something they’d love to add to their bag of tricks.
Scarf or lap blanket they can use when it gets chilly on the job (ideally washable, just in case… birth can be a bit messy sometimes!)
Potted plant. Your doula will remember your appreciation each time they water it!
Hygge Box subscription. This is a gift box service that delivers doses of coziness… and you know how much doulas love oxytocin!
Make a donation in their name
Many doulas are involved in advocacy for improving birth and perinatal outcomes and would really appreciate it if you donated in their honor to an organization they believe in.
You can ask your doula for their preferred organization, choose a reproductive justice related nonprofit in your community, or choose one of these:
Organizations local to Pittsburgh:
Other organizations doing important work:
If you have a great gift idea for a doula that we didn’t include here, let us know!
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