What is a birth doula?
A birth doula typically accompanies people in labor to help ensure a safe and satisfying birth experience. You have opted to use birth doula services only during your prenatal period and will not require a birth doula to be available for your labor/delivery/birth.
Your birth doula has completed training approved by DONA International. Your doula will draw on professional training and continuing education, knowledge, and experience to provide information you may need to make informed decisions as they arise during your labor/delivery. Your birth doula can provide reassurance and perspective to you and your partner (if applicable), make suggestions for labor progress, and explain and/or demonstrate techniques for relaxation, soothing touch, positioning, and other ways to promote comfort. Your birth doula is independent and self-employed. Your birth doula works for you, not your healthcare provider nor any hospital or healthcare center/birthing center.
Before labor/birth:
Your doula will meet with you (and your partner and/or other birthing support, as applicable) up to three (3) times before labor/birth to become acquainted, to explore and discuss your priorities and any fears or concerns, and to develop/review your birth plan. Your doula will also want to discuss your own best ways for coping with discomfort, pain, and fatigue as well as how you and your birthing support foresee working together.
You and your doula may also decide on other meetings and will want to remain in touch by phone/text and/or email.
Communication:
Doula response times for client-initiated communications
This section outlines the general expectations regarding how promptly your doula will respond to your communications. Your doula will always aim to respond in a timely manner and to meet these response times. Your doula will keep you informed of any known situations when your doula may not be able to respond within the expected time. On rare occasions, there may be an emergency or unexpected reason that causes a delay in response time.
- Your doula will respond to your text/email messages within 48 hours, but typically in less than six (6) hours.
- Your doula will return your call (if not answered initially) within 24 hours.
Doula-initiated communications to client
This section outlines when you can expect to receive communications from your doula. These are the general guidelines your doula will aim to follow, but the timing and/or frequency may vary and be customized to your needs.
- Your doula will check in with you via text once per month until 37 weeks.
- Your doula will check in with you via text once per week starting at 38 weeks until 6 weeks following your birth.
- You are NOT obligated to respond to any of these check-in messages. The intent of these messages is to provide you an opportunity to share how you’re feeling and how things are going for you and/or to ask any questions you may have.
- Your doula may provide an email/text follow-up after visits, particularly if additional information or resources were discussed.
- Your doula may send an email/text request for your testimonial about your experience and/or to complete a survey/evaluation following your birth.
After birth:
If you opted to include a postpartum visit with your prenatal-only birth doula services, a postpartum check-in visit will be planned within the first week or two following your birth for your doula to see how you and your baby are doing. You and your doula can also discuss your birth experience, and it would be great to get feedback from you about your doula’s role. The check-in visit will be scheduled for two hours to reserve the time for you to have dedicated access to your doula during that time, but the visit does not need to last two hours if that is not what you want/need.
What doulas do NOT do:
Your doula will NOT:
- Perform clinical tasks, such as blood pressure checks, fetal heart monitoring, vaginal exams, or other similar tasks. Your doula is available to provide information and resources to prepare you for your birthing experience.
- Make decisions for you. Your doula will help you get the information necessary to make an informed decision.
- Speak to the healthcare team on your behalf. Your doula will discuss your concerns with you and suggest options, but, when possible, you (or your partner and/or other birthing support, as applicable) should speak directly to healthcare staff. If necessary, your doula will speak to the healthcare team to amplify your voice, rather than be your voice.
Cancellation:
Once you have signed this agreement and your birth doula services contract, and either remitted payment online or paid the retainer (see Payments section), the time for your prenatal visits will be reserved so that your doula will be available to you. If you request to cancel services prior to starting prenatal visits, Atala Doula Services will issue a full refund for all payments rendered for birth doula services. If you have received any prenatal visits with your doula and decide to cancel the remaining unused services, a prorated fee to cover any fulfilled prenatal visits ($300/visit attended) will still be owed, and Atala Doula Services will refund any payments in excess of that amount.
Failure to provide service:
Your doula will make every effort to provide the birth doula services described in this agreement. Sometimes, this is impossible (for example, with a preterm delivery). If failure to attend all prenatal birth doula visits as outlined in your contract is due to your doula’s error, there will be no charge for services, and Atala Doula Services will issue a full refund for all payments rendered for birth doula services. If your doula does not attend your prenatal birth doula visits because you fail to contact them or fail to confirm scheduling of the visits or because the environment for prenatal visits jeopardizes your doula’s health and/or safety, full payment must still be rendered. If your doula is unable to attend your prenatal birth doula visits due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control (natural disaster, state of emergency, pandemic, etc.), you will only owe a prorated fee to cover any fulfilled prenatal visits ($300/visit attended), and Atala Doula Services will refund any payments in excess of that amount.
Fees:
The fee for prenatal-only birth doula services without a postpartum visit is $800. The fee for prenatal-only birth doula services with a postpartum visit is $1000.
Payments:
Payment Options
Online payments are preferred using the Shop/Service Payments page found here: https://ataladoulaservices.com/product-category/doula-services/. Online payments are processed via Stripe or PayPal. Online payments will also be accepted using your Doulado client portal. Payments may also be accepted via cash, check, money order, Venmo, Square, or other payment transfer application upon request.
The $300 retainer must be paid by the end of your first prenatal visit, and the balance will be due by the end of your final prenatal visit.
Payment Plans (online payments only)
With online website payments, Atala Doula Services offers an easy monthly payment plan option via Paythen (processed via Stripe). Payments can be broken up into 12 monthly payments for totals up to and including $1000 or 24 monthly payments for totals over $1000.
If you utilize PayPal for your online payment, you may be offered the option to divide your payment into installments via PayPal’s Pay Later option.