How Bornbir works for parents

Bornbir connects parents with birth and postpartum providers — doulas, night nannies, midwives, lactation consultants, and more. It's completely free for families.

Post a care request

Click Get matched (or Get started) anywhere on bornbir.com and answer a few quick questions, one per page:

1. Who you're looking for — pick 1 to 3 provider types. The most common ones are shown first; click Show more for the full list.
2. Your due date or baby's birthday — providers plan their availability around it.
3. A note about what you need — at least 50 characters. Every provider we match you with reads this note and replies to you directly, so write it the way you'd describe your situation to a friend: your schedule, budget, where you plan to give birth, anything that matters to you. Notes made of filler or random characters are turned back at this step.
4. Where you need the support — your ZIP or postal code. Pick it from the suggestions as you type.

Then tell us how to reach you: your first and last name, your email, and — if you'd like text updates — your phone number. Your full name stays confidential; providers see your first name. There's no password to create — you log in with a code we email you. If the email already has a Bornbir account, we'll say so and email you a sign-in code right there; enter it and your new request is added to your existing account.

Your request is sent to matching local providers once you verify your email or phone number; see "Why you need to verify your email or phone".

A few follow-up questions

After you sign up, we ask a few optional questions one at a time at the top of your Search and Messages pages — things like your budget, how soon you're hiring, how far a provider can be, the days and hours you need care, whether they should be certified, which insurance they should accept, and what languages they should speak. Answering helps providers send you useful replies, and your answers become your default search filters. You can Skip any question, and change your answers later under Edit request.

Hear back from providers

Matching providers near you are notified about your request. Their replies appear in Messages on bornbir.com, and we notify you by email — and by text if you shared a phone number. Providers usually respond within 24 hours.

Reach out on your own

You don't have to wait. Use Search to browse providers near you and filter by distance, category, insurance, and more — each card says whether the provider is taking new clients, shows badges such as Background checked, NPI verified, or how quickly they usually respond, and, when they list prices, their starting rate. Open any provider's profile and message them directly, or click Schedule interview in a conversation to offer a few times for a call. See "Finding and messaging providers".

Finding your way around

After you verify, you land in Messages. On a phone, the tabs at the bottom of the screen take you everywhere:

• Search — providers near you.
• Messages — your conversations with providers.
• Care requests — edit, close, or re-open your requests, and start another one for a different need.
• Classes — classes and support groups from Bornbir providers; see "Signing up for classes and events".
• Account — your email, phone, password, photo, notifications, background checks you've ordered, and payments you've made.

On a computer, Search, Inbox (your messages), and Classes are in the top bar, and Care requests and Account settings are in the menu under your photo in the top right.

Using Bornbir on your phone

There's no separate parent app — use bornbir.com in your phone's browser. The Bornbir for Providers iPhone app is only for providers: if you open it, you'll see "This app is for providers." with a link to log into your parent account, which opens bornbir.com in a browser window.

Hiring a provider

Bornbir doesn't employ providers. When you find the right fit, you agree on services, pricing, and payment directly with the provider. Let us know with Already hired someone in your conversation (or when you close your request) — we mark the request booked, and your conversation with the provider you hired stays open.

Some providers also keep track of their clients on Bornbir. Once a provider adds you as a client, they can:

• send you an invoice or payment request, which you pay by card on Stripe's secure checkout — see "Paying a provider through Bornbir". You can also settle up outside Bornbir if you both prefer.
• send you a contract or other document to sign online — see "Signing a contract from your provider".
• make you a superbill for an invoice you've paid, to claim insurance or HSA/FSA reimbursement — see "Getting a superbill for insurance reimbursement".

If a provider adds you as a client by hand and invites you to Bornbir, you'll get an email "[Provider] invited you to Bornbir". Click Accept invitation to open a conversation with them; nothing happens unless you accept.

Tickets for a provider's paid classes and events (see "Signing up for classes and events") and background checks you order on a provider (see "Requesting a background check on a provider") also run through Bornbir's checkout.

Questions? Email support@bornbir.com.