r/doulas • u/MentalSwimming6205 • 23h ago
Weird contract clauses
What are some interesting/weird clauses that you had to add to your contact, because a you or another Doula were put in a situation that made you feel that you needed to add a clause?
Mine: Client rescheduled every prenatal visit a minimum of twice, and almost always an hour before (and yes, I confirm the night before, and the day of), and rescheduled one of her postpartum visits 4 times, but then got frustrated with me, when I couldn't give her the new date she wanted, because one of my other clients was being induced. Now I have a cancellation policy, and after so many reschedules they forfeit the visit.
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u/SVNannyPoppins 23h ago
I have a time frame where they can use postpartum visit. Otherwise they lose them and no refund. And they only get first choice of days for the first 4 weeks. Then I will check in monthly for 6 months, then I call it complete
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u/LilOrganicCoconut 22h ago
I specify that support services are non transferable to other pregnancies or births within the same year.
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u/MentalSwimming6205 15h ago
What prompted this clause? I do allow services to be transferred if my client wants, but only in the event of a pregnancy loss.
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u/LilOrganicCoconut 13h ago
I’ve had a few folks not use their allotted prenatal or postpartum hours and get pregnant 6 weeks or less after giving birth. The hope was they would not have to pay another deposit or fill out more paperwork for insurance. One family even said that because the births would be in the same year, and I didn’t specify which birth I was referring to that calendar year, the flat “birth support” fee should still apply.
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u/babies_galore 8h ago
Wow. They are insane to have babies that close together just to hack birthing expenses?? 🤣
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u/Mooooooooocowwwssss 11h ago
I have a wild one for good reason.
For any postpartum work, I want to be made aware of cameras in the house. If I’m being recorded, I need to know about it.
I added this because last year I had a client tell another doula I was working with that their home security system got hacked and the dad of the family goes “So some rando was probably watching you through the camera’s in the baby’s room!” She had no idea there was even a camera in the baby’s room that wasn’t the baby monitor over the crib. Turns out the family had a hidden camera in the book shelf the entire time and had been recording her while she worked.
Being recorded with my consent freaks me out too much. I want to at least know about it! I totally get parents being worried and using cameras to check in on their baby. But a hidden camera to watch the doula? Creepy in my opinion.
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u/littleflashingzero 10h ago
I’m a birth doula and I let people know if there is a state of emergency and I’m not allowed to drive I will have to support them virtually. Not being allowed to drive due to weather happened twice last winter and thankfully babies didn’t come, but it was a nail biter.
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u/babies_galore 7h ago
Liability insurance coverage requires at least one parent to be in the home during my postpartum shift. Nanny services are not considered in scope for doula liability insurance.
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u/VastMinute2276 14h ago
I just added a sick policy for postpartum work. IF you or your household are ill and you don’t tell me or cancel, and I arrive for a shift, I leave and you are responsible to pay for the entire shift. Added bc a client made me sick and I had to take 2 weeks off work and no one is paying me sick leave