Terms and Conditions of Doula Care
The Role of a Doula
As birth doulas, a Motherable doula will accompany you during your birth to help ensure a satisfying birth experience. They will help provide you and your partner with emotional, physical, and informational support. They will help communicate your needs and wants to your birth attendants and assist in providing you with education to aide in informed decisions about your birth.
Motherable Doula’s can provide massage, counter pressure, rebozo techniques, relaxation and breathing techniques, and acupressure to assist in relieving any pain, nausea, headaches and other. Our Doula’s also show you suggestions for optimal positioning including using the birth ball or peanut ball and/or hot and cold packs to help with back labor pain. Other things may include aromatherapy, music, or any other client specific needs. Motherable can also give you access to my pregnancy and birth library, educational forums, additional resources and printouts.
Motherable is an independently owned business. As your doulas, Motherable works for you, not your caregiver, provider, or hospital.
Doula services include:
1 complimentary initial consultation
Text/Phone/Virtual availability once doula care begins
On-call time from 35 weeks until birth of baby
1-2 prenatal support session(s) as determined by birthing person
1-2 postpartum support session(s)
Text/Phone/Virtual availability during early labor
Support during active labor (or when client and doula determine there is a need)
Support approximately two hours postpartum
The Contract
1. This agreement is between Motherable (the “doula”) and (the “client”).
Upon signing this contract, a non-refundable retainer of $300 is due to the contractor. At that time, a primary doula will be agreed upon and assigned. This retainer is non-refundable due to the doula’s inability to take on additional clients during client’s birth month. Upon receiving payment, doula will reserve client’s birth on their calendar.
The remaining balance is due at 35 weeks gestation (at the time doula goes on call for client). If remaining balance is not paid by 35 weeks, the doula’s obligation to provide support at the birth is nullified until payment is received.
In the event client goes into labor before 35 weeks and/or before balance is paid, doula can attend birth if payment plan is agreed upon. Doula cannot guarantee presence at births before 35 weeks due to scheduling, however in the case a doula is unable to attend the birth, an effort will be made to send a backup doula.
2. Limitation of Services. Doulas are not medical providers and do not provide any medical advice. Doula does not perform clinical tasks, such as listening to fetal heart tones, assessing dilation, or checking blood pressure. Doula does not make any decisions for client or speak to staff on client’s behalf. Rather, doula helps to facilitate discussion with client’s care provider.
3. Scope of Services. Due to COVID-19 and restrictions at birth locations, doula support can be either virtual or in-person. Client understands that doula must operate within the laws and regulations in their shared community.
Prenatal Support Sessions can occur virtually, via the phone or a video chat service, such as zoom. These support sessions last approximately one hour. Prenatal support can involve birth plan formation, childbirth education, and emotional support.
Support during labor includes 24/7 availability during on-call window to answer questions via text/phone. In the event in-person support is allowed, doula will join the client when client requests. In the event in-person support is not allowed, doula will provide support virtually (to include phone, text, and video communications as decided by the birthing person). Doula agrees to provide client and partner with at least two different options to communicate during labor. Doula support might look like words of encouragement, breathing techniques, position suggestions, information about the labor process, suggestions to communicate with providers, and questions to ask care team.
Postpartum Support Sessions can occur virtually via the phone or a video chat service, such as zoom. These support sessions last approximately one hour. Doula will provide information on postpartum care, breastfeeding, and newborn care after the birth. If doula cannot help, doula will find referrals for additional support (such as IBCLC, dentist for tie revisions,pelvic floor therapy, mental health therapist etc.)
4. Communication. Client is responsible to keep in contact with doula in the weeks leading up to client’s birth. Keep doula updated with appointments and if there are any significant changes in the birth plan.
In early labor: notify doula via call or text, so that she can prepare accordingly. If doula doesn’t respond to text, please call. (405-219-9712) Doula will be available to answer questions & help guide birthing family during early labor.
In active labor: notify doula once active labor has been established. Doula needs 2 (two) hours from active labor notification, or notification of when doula’s presence has been requested, to arrive at client’s birth if supporting client in-person. Doula needs 30 minutes from active notification to support client’s birth virtually.
5. Back Up Doulas. Due to the unpredictable nature of birth, doula works with back-up doulas. In the event doula cannot support client’s birth for any reason, or if they need to leave after 12 hours of coverage, a back-up doula may step in to support client’s birth. Doula agrees to tell client when they are unavailable and will provide on-call back-up support. In the event a back-up doula is not able to provide support, client will receive a refund of payment made, minus non-refundable retainer.
6. Refunds due to unexpected situations. Client acknowledges that by hiring a doula they are retaining them for their birth window. As a result, doula sets aside time, energy, and resources to support client. Unexpected situations are common in birth, but do not necessarily result in a refund.
If client no longer wants birth services before 30 weeks, a partial refund (does not include the retainer fee) of 50% total fees is available. If prenatal session has already occcured, $150 will be deducted from refund amount. If client no longer wants birth services after 30 weeks, a refund is not available.
If client decides to not call or notify doula during labor, a refund is not available. If client chooses to forego services or not utilize services available, a refund is not available. If client does not request doula’s presence or notify of active labor, AA refund is not available.
If client delivers baby precipitously, a refund is not available as long as doula
arrived within specified timeframe of 2 (two) hours. Precipitous births are not the fault of client or doula.
If client has an unplanned cesarean birth, a refund is not available. Doula will still offer support before, during, and after birth.
Cesarean Section: this is not a surgery that Motherable anticipates happening at the time of hire. In the event you have a cesarean section, planned or emergency, all fees will remain the same. Your doula will stay and offer as much support as the medical staff will allow. It is up to you to secure a place in the operating room if desired. If scheduled, your doula will meet you at the hospital prior to your scheduled time. Your doula accompany you in the operating room if allowed by medical staff, and offer emotional support and infant feeding support after the birth. If for some reason your doula is not allowed to be present in the operating room, (emergency, policy, preference, etc.) they join you after the birth in the recovery area or designated room to provide emotional and infant feeding support after the birth.
It is the client’s responsibility to ensure place of birth (hospital, birth center or home birth midwife) is aware of doula and doesn’t have guidelines against doula support. The doula is not responsible if medical staff does not allow in-person or virtual support. If the client has a c-section or is an emergency situation, it is client’s responsibility to discuss doula’s presence in the operating room (OR) or birth space. If doula is not allowed in the OR (vaginal or cesarean birth) or birth-space virtually or in-person, no refund is available.
If doula is unavailable, does not answer text or phone-calls within the specified time, does not provide a back-up doula, a refund is appropriate.
7. COVID Specific Information. Due to constantly changing restrictions due to COVID-19, doula and client have agreed that virtual support will replace in-person support in the event hospitals, birth centers, or homebirths are not allowing extra visitors or a state, local, or federal governmental agency restricts such access.
Additionally in the event that either the doula, or the birthing family, is displaying symptoms of COVID-19 and/or has knowingly been exposed to a person testing positive for COVID-19 within the previous 14 days, virtual support should occur for the safety and well-being of all parties.
Doula and client agree to be transparent and vigilant in monitoring their own health and exposure to COVID-19. Due to the fact that transmission CAN occur asymptomatically, client cannot hold doula responsible for unintended exposure nor can doula hold client responsible for unintended exposure. Doula agrees they will not attend a birth if they have a fever over 100 degrees F and/or have had known exposure to a person testing positive for the virus within the previous 14 days. In the event doula develops symptoms during birth, they will leave immediately and will contact a back-up doula. Due to the nature of the virus, they will not wait for doula to arrive. In the event doula or client contracts COVID-19 within 2 weeks following birth, they agree to notify each party of their positive test.
Client understands that Client is purchasing services with a known risk of being exposed to COVID-19. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, Client on her own behalf and on behalf of her born or unborn child, waives any and all liability against doula except for intentional or grossly negligent misconduct.
8. Birth Outcome. Doula is not liable for any birth outcome. Doula cannot guarantee a certain birth outcome such as an unmedicated or vaginal birth. Client is responsible for choosing a care provider and birth location that best suits their personal needs. Doula will help facilitate communication between client and provider, and offer emotional and physical support, but ultimately cannot impact the course of birth or decisions made by client and provider. Doula supports client during pregnancy, labor, and in the postpartum period in whatever choices the client makes. At no point will doula take over, exclude partner, or assume decision-making during birth.
9. Privacy. Doula respects and maintains client’s privacy by following HIPPA guidelines. Doula does not post any images or any identifying information on social media without explicit permission by client.
10. Weather. If doula is unable to attend birth due to extreme weather conditions (blizzard conditions, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding ) or an act of God, the doula and client shall attempt virtual support. If virtual support is not available due to extreme weather, all monies will be applied to additional postpartum sessions due to doula being on-call and available during client’s birth window.
11. Sickness/Emergencies. If doula is unable to perform due to sickness, emergency, or causes beyond doulas control like road closures, hospital restrictions, etc., the doula and client shall attempt virtual support and/or a back-up may be called. If virtual support and/or back up is not available due to these scenarios, all monies will be applied to additional postpartum sessions due to doula being on-call and available during client’s birth window.
12. Technology. If doula is providing virtual support during birth, neither doula nor client can guarantee fail-proof technology. Doula will provide client with at least two options to contact doula during birth. In the rare event there are multiple technical malfunctions and doula cannot provide support via both options, all monies will be applied to additional postpartum sessions due to doula being on-call and available during client’s birth window. Doula is not responsible if client forgets to bring a device, if device isn’t fully charged, or if client forgets to use device.
13. The client agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the doula against any and all damages, liabilities, and costs (including attorney fees) asserted against or suffered by the doula relating to any breach by the client of any term of this agreement. The doula shall also have the right to seek an injunction to prevent any violation of this agreement.
14. Doula will not tolerate any emotional, physical or verbal abuse. If an abusive situation arises at the reasonably discretion of doula, then doula can leave and the retainer and any balance will be kept. If there is any issue with services provided, client will not slander doula in any public form and will reach out to doula to address any concerns.