BIRTH DOULA CONTRACT

What is my role as a doula? As a birth doula, I accompany women in labor to help ensure a safe and satisfying birth experience.  I draw on my professional training, knowledge and experiences to provide physical, emotional, and information support to women and partners. I can provide reassurance and perspective to you and your partner, make suggestions for labor progress, and help with relaxation, massage, positioning, and other techniques for comfort. I am independent and self-employed. As your doula, I am working for you, not your caregiver or the facility where you birth.

As a doula, I do not:

Perform clinical tasks, such as blood pressure, fetal heart checks, vaginal exams, etc. I am there to provide only physical comfort and emotional support.

Make decisions for you. I will help you get the information necessary to make an informed decision. I will also remind you if there is a departure from your Birth Plan.

Prenatal meetings. I prefer we arrange for 1-3 prenatal meeting (1-2 hours) before labor begins, preferably beginning before 37 weeks in your pregnancy. Additional meetings may be arranged if necessary. These meetings give us a chance to talk in detail about your preferences regarding your birth. If you have a Birth Plan, we will review it carefully. If you do not have a Birth Plan and would like to create one, I can assist with this. I will want to know your own personal ways of coping with pain and fatigue and difficult situations, and what internal resources we can draw upon to assist you with the birthing experience. I will want to know how you and your partner foresee working together, and the roles of others who may be attending the birth. We can discuss together what fears and concerns you have regarding the birth.  My role is to help you have a satisfying birth as you define it. The more we explore this in advance, the better I will be able to fulfill this role. This contract will be signed at or before the first prenatal meeting. I will also inform you of times when I am unavailable for labor support. To cover those times, I will arrange one or more qualified back-up doulas whom you may also meet. I generally accept only 2 clients per month, so the likelihood of your birth overlapping with another client’s birth is extremely small.

Late Pregnancy . I am available for phone consultations and email questions in pregnancy, and encourage clients to call with questions or updates. Once we enter the on-call period, I encourage clients to check in with me every few days to let me know how they’re doing. I consider my on-call period for a birth to be from 38-42 weeks of your pregnancy. During the on-call period, I am committing myself to be within 90 miles of Miami at all times unless previously discussed with you and covered by a back-up doula. In general, I am almost always in town anyway.

When Labor Begins : I prefer that you call me when you think you are in labor, even if you do not yet need me. I can answer questions and make suggestions over the phone. We will decide if I should come right then or wait for further change. I usually need approximately 1 hour to get to you from the time you ask me to come, so think ahead. 

After Birth. I usually remain with you for 2 hours after birth, until you are comfortable and the family is ready for quiet time together. I can also help with initial breastfeeding, if necessary. I am available by phone or email to answer questions about the birth of your baby. My services include 1 postpartum visits – usually 2-5 days after the birth. During this visit, I can provide breastfeeding support, baby care tips, referrals to community resources, and a chance to discuss the birth experience.

Fees . The total fee for these services is $1,000. I ask for a deposit of $500 (applied towards the total fee) as soon as you have chosen me as your doula. This secures your birth on my calendar. The remainder of the fee is due by 36weeks, You may pay in cash or checks written to  Amanda Fischer.

Failure of a doula to provide service.  

I will make every effort to provide the service described here.  If I fail to make it to your birth due to my error, you will not be liable for the balance of this fee. If it is due to your failure to call me, payment will be owed in full.

Scheduled Caesarean Clause
Occasionally a woman will have something arise during her pregnancy that necessitates a scheduled Caesarean birth. If this decision is made two weeks or more before your due date, you may choose to cancel my services with no further payment owed beyond the deposit. Alternatively, you may choose to have me come with you to the hospital, accompany you during surgery or wait in the recovery room, and assist you with breastfeeding and adjustment in the first hours after your birth. An extra postpartum visit can also be scheduled at no further charge. In this instance my full fee will be payable.

In case of transport to hospital and/ or unscheduled C-section I will accompany you to the hospital, support  you during surgery or wait in the recovery room, and assist you with breastfeeding and adjustment in the first hours after your birth. In this instance my full fee will be payable.

If my back-up doula attends your birth because I was unavailable (whether pre-arranged or unexpectedly), full payment to me is still required. I compensate the back-up doula directly. The back-up doula will then also attend postpartum meetings.

 

Signed:________________________________

 

 

Client:________________________________

 

 

Date:__________________________________

 

 

Doula:_________________________________

 

 

Date:__________________________________