How much to pay friend for birth and post birth help?

[Sirenetta]

Hi. I live in the US so I will have to both convert currency and figure out whether the going rate could be different here, but I could really use a starting place...the question is : what would you pay a friend to a) come to the birth and help with moral support, breathing etc? b) be with us for 2-3 days afterwards to help round house, help me feed etc. the context is that our families are far away and this is our first child. Also in the us you don't get a midwife, just a doctor who isn't there throughout the birth, which means you really have to think who's going to get you through it. This friend of mine is my mother's sort of age - she has 4 kids of her own, is a yoga instructor and is a lovely, reassuring presence. I'm at ease thinking of giving birth with her there. She isn't a doula or professional birth coach, but nor is she such an absolutely close friend that I would ask her to do this for free. She has a fairly tight budget in her life and I know will appreciate this being a gig but also wants to help. We are also pretty broke. I really don't have the first clue how to arrive at a number. Any ideas?

Could you look into how much a student doula would cost? That might give a ball park figure...i say student as figure that's more like mate's rates. Round here that's £250 i think.

In the UK a maternity nurse is £160 for a 24hr on call shift (although obviously they have sleep breaks etc)

I would say $200 a day.

My first thought on seeing the title was they should do it for free as a friend but then I read post and agree you should pay her. Can you times minimum wage by 24 to get a day rate?

I think offer her $250 all up ? U.S that is and maybe an extra $50 for any extras like if she drives you anywhere etc.

newly qualified doulas here are £200 plus travel expenses, students are free (rare to "catch" one at that stage), experienced doulas £400
post natal hourly rate is max £10 but with min amt of hours plus travel expenses

p.s. the doula rates here includes being totally "on call" for 2 weeks either side of your due date, plus pre and post natal visits. So no drinking at all, no going more than x miles away from home, not commiting to other jobs etc

just incase that's not clear I meant they are "on call" for you for 4 weeks in total, so no travel, other work commitments that can't be left, or drinking for a month for that rate.. so the £400 rate translates as £100 a week to make being available to you a priority