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Pregnancy & Postnatal Entrepreneurs Collective Podcast
The Pregnancy & Postnatal Entrepreneurs Collective Podcast, in conjunction with Your Birth Biz, is a podcast for birth and postpartum professionals who want to grow sustainable, ethical businesses without burning out or losing themselves along the way.
Hosted by Niamh Cassidy, childbirth educator, IBCLC lactation consultant, and business coach to birth workers, this podcast sits at the intersection of business, birth work, values, and real life.
Niamh started her own perinatal business as a side hustle while working full-time in social care, and knows first-hand how challenging it can be to fill classes, attract clients, and stay confident when everyone else seems to be “doing better”. She’s been through the comparison spiral, the over-consumption of business advice, and the frustration of learning from business spaces that don’t understand the ethics, boundaries, and responsibilities of perinatal work.
Through years of learning, testing, adapting (and unlearning), Niamh has built a fully booked lactation practice and successful education and coaching business — without resorting to fear-based marketing, unethical tactics, or stepping away from client work she loves.
This podcast is a mix of:
- Solo episodes on business, mindset, visibility, boundaries, and sustainability
- Guest conversations with birth workers and women in business
- Panel discussions exploring nuanced topics at the crossover of business and birth work
Expect honest conversations, thoughtful critique of “one-size-fits-all” business advice, and practical insights you can actually apply to your own practice.
If you’re a doula, lactation consultant, antenatal educator, or perinatal professional who wants to grow a business that feels aligned, ethical, and genuinely supportive — you’re in the right place.
Pregnancy & Postnatal Entrepreneurs Collective Podcast
"It's Not a Calling, It's a Career": Birth Workers Talk Pricing
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Charging and pricing are some of the most loaded topics in the birth worker business — and in this panel episode of the Pregnancy and Postnatal Entrepreneurs Collective, we're finally talking about it out loud, no holds barred. Niamh is joined by three birth workers at different stages of their business journeys: Natalie Abouchai (Natnat Your Doula), Emma Fitzsimons (The Marathon Doula), and Audrey McEntee (Hug and Hold Doula Support) for a raw, honest conversation about what it really takes to build a sustainable birth business, why birth workers and doulas keep undercharging, and what the industry needs to change to make this work financially viable long-term.
Whether you're a doula, IBCLC, antenatal educator, or any kind of birth worker trying to figure out what to charge — this one's for you.
In this episode:
- How each guest decided what to charge when they started out — and what they'd do differently
- The burnout that comes directly from undercharging in your doula business (and why it's not just about the money)
- Emma on female altruism being weaponised against birth workers — and why our industry keeps absorbing it
- Why "it's a calling" might be the most damaging phrase in birth worker marketing
- Natalie's moment: the client who said, post-birth, "I can't believe you were so cheap"
- The pricing visibility debate — should your doula rates be on your website or saved for the discovery call?
- The societal double standard: €250 for a 15-minute consultant appointment vs. €170 for an hour-and-a-half lactation home visit
- What happens to the whole doula/IBCLC pricing landscape when experienced birth workers encourage newcomers to work for free
- Why building a sustainable birth business means pricing like you need to actually live
This is the birthworker business conversation that usually only happens in private. It deserves to be out in the open.
About the guests:
Natalie Abuce — Natnat Your Doula Natalie is a woman-centred birth doula supporting women through pregnancy, birth, and the maternity system with confidence and informed choice. Based in the southeast and southwest of England, she's passionate about reminding women that their voice matters, their instincts matter, and they deserve to birth feeling powerful, heard, and respected. 🌐 www.natnatyourdoula.co.uk | 📧 natnatyourdoula@gmail.com | @natnatyourdoula (all socials)
Emma Fitzsimons — The Marathon Doula Emma is a Birth and Postpartum Doula and Fitness Instructor based in Cavan and Meath. Drawing on her own experiences with maternity services, she qualified as a doula in 2023 and brings over a decade of fitness instruction alongside a deeply personal understanding of what women need in birth and postpartum. She also brings the perspective of 15 years as a single mum. 📱 @emmathemarathondoula on Instagram
Audrey McEntee — Hug and Hold Postpartum Doula Support Audrey is a postpartum doula, maternity night nanny, newborn care specialist, and International Certified Infant Massage Instructor based in Ireland. Founder of Hug and Hold Doula Support, she specialises in supporting families through those precious and sometimes overwhelming early days — creating calm, answering questions, and holding space so parents can thrive (not just survive) postpartum. 🌐 hugandholddoula.com | 📧 audreymcentee@gmail.com | @hugandholddoulasupport on Instagram
Working alone in clients' homes comes with risks most birth workers aren't prepared for. Niamh created this free guide to share the 8 safety protocols she learned over two decade of home visits (first in social care services, then in birth work) from what to ask on your intake form to positioning yourself for safety. It takes 2 minutes to read and might be the one thing that matters.
Download free: yourbirthbiz.com/safet
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