Letter of Agreement Birth Doula Services

Silver Birth Package ($600-$1400)

Includes one prenatal meeting, on call to attend birth, attend birth, one postpartum meeting, and unlimited phone and email  support

•    Prenatal meeting (around 36-38 weeks generally, usually 2-3 hours in duration): Discuss any particular concerns or thoughts you have about the pregnancy, your care provider, etc,; create and draft birth plan; work through pain medication preferences and pain coping techniques; discuss how to gather information for making the best choices for you as interventions are suggested; address your fears and concerns about the upcoming birth process (to include, as needed or desired, practicing pain coping techniques and role-playing advocating for yourself during labor), discuss how we can work together as a team, what you want from your doula at the birth, discussion of amount, type etc. of pictures you'd like your doula to take, discuss partner support and other topics, as needed or desired.

•    On Call for the Birth: Your doula will be available to you, 24/7 beginning from approximately 38 weeks onwards, although will likely have no problem attending if you go into labor before this time. You are always welcome to call with questions or concerns.

•    Attend Birth: Your doula will stay with you, providing support for as long as it takes to have your baby, and about an hour or so afterwards. It is common to spend 8 or more hours with a family, often as much as 12 hours.  During this time your doula will provide encouragement, support with coping with contractions, massage, relaxation, visualization, suggestions for changing positions, help in making decisions about the medical management of the labor, support for the partner, in providing support for the laboring parent, as well as breaks for the partner. Your doula may take pictures for you and may communicate with family members in the waiting area. After the birth, your doula will help to settle the room, arranging food for the participants, taking pictures, and helping with the initial breastfeeding. Throughout labor your doula is available for whatever the laboring couple may need beyond medical needs, whether it be food, a cool washcloth, support for difficult decisions or help through the contractions. Your doula supports the family with whatever decisions are made, regardless of what their own choices or preferences may be.

•    Postpartum meeting (1-2 weeks postpartum):  Process the birth, lactation support; newborn care information as needed, emotional support, provide resources for any particular challenges.

 What Doulas Do Not Do:

·       Perform clinical tasks, such as blood pressure, fetal heart checks, vaginal exams, etc.  Doulas do not make medical diagnosis.  Doulas do provide physical comfort, emotional support, and advocacy.

·       Make decisions for you.  Your doula will help you get the information you need to make an informed decision. Your doula will also remind you if there is a departure from your birth plan.

·       Speak to the staff instead of you regarding matters where decisions are being made.  Your doula will discuss your concerns with you and suggest options, but you or your partner will speak on your behalf to the clinical staff.

Fees:

The fee is to be paid as follows: 50% of the fee is paid as a retainer, due at the time you select your doula. This is a non-refundable retainer fee.  You may think of this as the fee for prenatal and postpartum visits and the cost of being on-call for your birth. The balance is due 2 weeks after delivery, unless other arrangements have been made in advance. You are always welcome to pay more if you feel your doula’s work has gone beyond your expectations. Your fee is based on the experience level of the doula you choose to work with:

Freshman Doula $600

Sophomore Doula $800

Junior Doula $1200

Senior Doula $1400

Freshman Doulas: 0-10 births attended; Sophomore Doulas: 11-50 births attended; Junior Doulas: 51-100 births attended; Senior Doulas: more than 100 births attended.

Calm and Confident Doula Care, LLC will provide you with an invoice, noting payments, suitable for use in submitting to your insurance company for re-imbursement. Only occasionally is doula care paid for in whole or part by health insurance, but it’s always worth asking!

Fine Print:

If for some reason, you choose not to use your doula’s services after signing this contract, you will forfeit the retainer fee. Your doula reserves time in their schedule for your birth and turns away other prospective clients once hired.

If your doula is not at the birth due to their own circumstances a backup doula will be provided for you by Calm and Confident Doula Care, LLC. Your doula will make every effort to be available to you and takes the commitment to provide support very seriously.

If your doula has been providing 18 hours of continuous labor support a consult between client, doula and Calm and Confident Doula Care LLC will occur to determine if another doula should come in for a period of time to provide respite and fresh perspective to both the client and doula. This will be decided on a case by case basis. There is no additional fee due as a result of this consultation or backup respite.

If your doula is not at the birth because you did not call for any reason (including your choosing to not call early enough to allow ample time to get to you), the balance is still due. Additional postpartum support may be available in this circumstance.

All Calm and Confident Doula Care, LLC Affiliated Doulas agree to the DONA Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics and independently carry Liability Insurance. All Affiliated Doulas are either Certified or working towards Certification with DONA International, CAPPA or PALS Doulas. If at any time you are unsatisfied with the support from your doula, please contact the Calm and Confident Doula Care LLC office: info@calmconfidentdoula.com We want you to feel you have received excellent support throughout your birthing experience!

Reaching Your Doula:

*Your doula is on-call for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, beginning about two weeks prior to your due date.  Once you have established that support is needed please allow your doula 1 hour to reach you, more during high traffic times.