Believe it or not, being a doula was one of the top ten
home-based businesses in the United States in 2000.

What's a doula?  Greek for "woman's helper", doulas
provide physical, emotional, informational and practical
support to new mothers immediately before, during and
for a short time after childbirth (when mother and baby
come home).  Before childbirth they provide informational
support, during childbirth they provide physical and
emotional assistance to the mother (such as providing a
back massage, and generally keeping the mother as calm
and comfortable as possible).  After childbirth, the doula
attends to the mother's household needs such as cooking,
cleaning, running errands etc. so the mother is free to
spend as much time as possible with her newborn.

Who's suited to being a doula?  The chief qualification is
first-hand experience in pregnancy, childbirth and the
demands of caring for a newborn.  By first-hand, I mean
as the person actually going through it.  Everything else
you need to know you can get training for.

Doulas make between $15 - $25 an hour and typically
are engaged for a period of ten to fourteen days.  The
cost is not covered by health insurance though so your
best bet is to target the reasonably affluent.  An easily-
overlooked good target market would be older, single
mothers.  Often having decided to have a baby before
it's too late even though "Mr. Right" hasn't turned up,
such women are frequently well-established in their
careers (and can therefore afford the expense of a
doula), but they may be feeling isolated and alone and
would welcome the reassuring presence of a doula during
the very last stages of pregnancy as well as when they
bring their bundle home for the first time.