Do you typically always use a contract and what all do you discuss if for some reason you are late to the birth or the hospital won't let you in if a c-section is needed? Do you do a full refund?

If I miss the birth due to my own mistake, then I refund 1/2 the fee. However, I have no control over whether the hospital will let me in the OR or not, so I would not refund any money if that were the case. I still would have given support before and after.

If the birth goes very fast, or if the client called me late, no I would not give a refund. That is all in the contract. Basically I require 1/2 the fee at the signing. That is non-refundable. The other half may be refunded, depending on if I was at fault for missing the birth. If for sickness, or my own family emergency.

Hope that helps some!

I like to use contracts, but have found that the women I tend to deal with as a Certified Birth Doula are fairly upfront with payment, and they really appreciate the help I have given then. That being said. I rarely actually use contracts anymore. We do go over and discuss in person what they are looking for and how I can be of assistance to them.

What Alice said.

I always do a contract. They agreed, I agreed, and everything can be proven in court if necessary. My contract starts with "I do not provide medical services" which can protect me if I have a client claiming that I claimed to be a midwife, or trying to hold me responsible for any medical emergency that may arrise.

The middle of my contract is when I go on call for them, when they need to call me, and ways that they can pay me (I accept payment plans/barter/sliding scale). I also define what constitutes a refund (if I miss the birth not due to client's lack of a phone call, natural disaster, fast birth, etc)

The end of my contract is the fee schedule including any discounts that they may have received. 60% is due on signing the contract, and the other 40% is due when I go on call. Frankly, if I don't get the 40%, I am not obliged to go on call for them. If they pay the 40%, I go on call for them, they call me and tell me that she is in labor and they want me to meet them at the hospital, and I don't show up for 3 hours through my own fault and I miss the birth, then I will refund their 40%.

As for cesareans, if she is having a cesarean, and they find out before I go on call, and they choose to terminate services with me, they keep their 40%. If she is having a planned cesarean, but they still want me there for either the surgery/prep/immediate postpartum, then they owe the 40%. If she has an emergency cesarean, and I have already been on call for them, I keep the 40%.

Most of the work that I do is in the prenatals. I prepare my clients for the birth. The 60% is both to reserve their space/show their seriousness/pay for the gas I use, and materials that I give them in the prenatals, and of course, my time answering emails, phonecalls, at prenatals, etc.. Once I go on call, 40% is due. Being on call takes it's toll on my family life. I can't travel any further than 1.5 hours from client's home/hospital lest my client go into labor. I can't overtire myself staying up late, avoid getting sick, etc.

Always. I always use a contract. Did I mention always?

Always always use a contract. It helps to make everything very clear. Parents know what they can count on my for and they know exactly what I am counting on them for. I don't specifically charge for births. I charge 50% for prenatals and 50% for being on call. So if they were to happen to cancel before I go on call for them, they would not owe me the last 50%. But I don't go on call without that last payment. If they are having a planned c section, they can arrange with the doctor and anesthesiologist before hand to have me in with them. If it's an unplanned c section, I am also oftentimes allowed in with them. Either way I am there supporting them, before and after.

I always use a contract. I charge a $50 deposit fee that is non-refundable. My contract states that if I miss because of something that is my fault, then I do not charge the rest, if because of something they did or matters out of our control, but I did my part, they pay me.