Doula Services Agreement Template – Birth Doula Contract, Prenatal & Labor Support, Fees, On-Call, Backup Doula | PDF and Word

Create clear expectations with birth clients while establishing professional boundaries for your doula practice with this comprehensive Doula Services Agreement Template.
Designed for birth doulas, independent doulas, doula agencies, and birth support professionals, this customizable agreement documents the services you provide, your non-medical role, prenatal and labor support, on-call availability, client responsibilities, fees, cancellations, backup doula arrangements, and other important terms.

The agreement specifically defines doula services as non-medical physical, emotional, and informational support, helping distinguish birth support from clinical medical care.

WHAT’S INCLUDED
This Doula Services Agreement includes:
• Client & Doula Information
• Doula Business / Service Name
• Scope of Services
• Prenatal Meeting Schedule
• Birth Plan Assistance
• Communication Expectations
• 24/7 On-Call Period
• Continuous Labor Support
• Postpartum Follow-Up Visits
• Non-Medical Scope & Limitations
• Client Responsibilities
• Medical Provider Requirements
• Labor Notification Requirements
• Total Service Fee
• Non-Refundable Retainer
• Final Balance Deadline
• Refund & Cancellation Policies
• Backup Doula Provision
• Liability & Indemnification Clause
• Client & Doula Signatures

COMPREHENSIVE SCOPE OF DOULA SERVICES
Clearly define what your doula package includes before services begin.
The agreement provides customizable sections for:

✓ Number of Prenatal Meetings
✓ Approximate Meeting Length
✓ Birth Preferences
✓ Comfort Measures
✓ Birth Logistics
✓ Birth Plan Assistance
✓ Communication Methods & Hours
✓ On-Call Availability
✓ Labor Support
✓ Postpartum Follow-Up Visits

PRENATAL SUPPORT & BIRTH PLANNING
Document how much prenatal support is included in the client's package.
The template allows you to specify the number and approximate length of prenatal meetings used to discuss birth preferences, comfort measures, and logistics.

It also includes assistance with creating a birth plan or birth-preferences document.

COMMUNICATION EXPECTATIONS
Establish how and when clients can contact you leading up to their birth.
Customize:

• Phone Availability
• Text Availability
• Email Availability
• Communication Hours
• Pregnancy Week When On-Call Coverage Begins

24/7 ON-CALL PERIOD
Clearly document when your dedicated birth availability begins.
The agreement allows the doula to specify the pregnancy week when 24/7 on-call availability begins and continues until delivery.

This helps clients understand the difference between normal prenatal communication availability and the dedicated on-call birth period.

CONTINUOUS LABOR SUPPORT
Define the support clients can expect during labor.
The agreement provides for continuous labor support at a:

• Home Birth
• Birth Center
• Hospital

Examples of support identified in the template include positioning, massage, and advocacy.

POSTPARTUM FOLLOW-UP
Extend your agreement beyond the birth with customizable postpartum support.
Specify the:

✓ Number of Postpartum Visits
✓ Number of Weeks After Delivery in Which Visits Will Occur

NON-MEDICAL DOULA BOUNDARIES
Clearly distinguish doula support from medical care.
The agreement expressly states that the doula is not a medical professional and does not:

• Perform Vaginal Exams
• Perform Fetal Heart Monitoring
• Take Blood Pressure as a Clinical Task
• Provide Medical Advice
• Diagnose Medical Conditions
• Make Medical Decisions for the Client
• Deliver the Baby

Instead, the doula's role includes providing information and support to help clients make their own decisions.

CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Establish expectations for clients as part of the working relationship.
The agreement requires the client to:

• Remain Under the Care of a Qualified Physician or Midwife
• Provide Medical Provider Contact Information
• Provide Birth Facility Information
• Notify the Doula When Labor Begins
• Notify the Doula of Significant Medical Changes
• Treat the Doula Professionally
• Maintain a Safe Environment

FEES, RETAINER & PAYMENT TERMS
Clearly document your compensation before reserving space on your birth calendar.
Customize:

• Total Doula Service Fee
• Retainer Amount
• Remaining Balance
• Final Payment Deadline
• Pregnancy Week When Payment Is Due

The template identifies the retainer as non-refundable and due upon signing to secure the doula's on-call availability.

REFUND & CANCELLATION POLICY
Births can be unpredictable, which makes clearly written refund terms especially important.
The agreement includes different provisions for circumstances involving:

Full Refund Less Retainer: When the doula fails to attend due to their own fault or emergency and no backup is provided.

Partial Refund / Discount: Customizable situations such as hospital restrictions or a planned C-section.

No Refund: Situations such as rapid labor when the doula was contacted but could not arrive in time, failure to notify the doula of labor, or late client termination of services.

BACKUP DOULA PROVISION
Give clients additional reassurance that support is available when unexpected circumstances arise.
The agreement provides for a qualified backup doula if the primary doula is attending another birth or experiences a personal emergency.

Simply enter the name of your backup doula or agency.

LIABILITY & INDEMNIFICATION
The template includes a liability and indemnification provision addressing medical outcomes, client negligence, and actions or medical decisions made by hospital staff.
Because indemnification and liability provisions can have significant legal consequences and may be treated differently across jurisdictions, this section should be reviewed before use.

CLIENT & DOULA SIGNATURES
Finalize the agreement with dedicated signature and date fields for:
• Client
• Doula

PERFECT FOR
• Birth Doulas
• Independent Doulas
• Doula Agencies
• New Doula Businesses
• Professional Birth Workers
• Labor Support Professionals
• Prenatal Support Providers
• Hospital Birth Doulas
• Home Birth Doulas
• Birth Center Doulas
• Doula Client Onboarding
• Birth Support Businesses
• Private Doula Practices
CUSTOMIZABLE FOR YOUR DOULA BUSINESS
Personalize the agreement with your:
• Doula Name
• Business / Service Name
• Client Name
• Number of Prenatal Meetings
• Meeting Duration
• Communication Methods
• Communication Hours
• On-Call Start Week
• Birth Location
• Postpartum Visit Schedule
• Total Service Fee
• Retainer Amount
• Final Balance Deadline
• Refund Policies
• Backup Doula Information

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
This is a digital product. No physical item will be shipped.
Your purchase includes a customizable 2-page Doula Services Agreement in PDF and Word formats.

Download the files, personalize the bracketed sections to reflect your actual services and policies, and have each client review the completed agreement before signing.

IMPORTANT LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL DISCLAIMER
This template is provided for general informational and document-preparation purposes only. It does not constitute legal, medical, insurance, healthcare, or professional licensing advice.
Use of this agreement does not guarantee that its terms—including its non-refundable retainer, cancellation provisions, liability clause, indemnification provision, or scope-of-practice language—will be valid or enforceable in every jurisdiction.

Doula scope-of-practice requirements and business regulations may vary by location, certification organization, facility, and services offered. Doulas should customize the agreement to accurately describe the services they actually provide and avoid representing non-medical support as clinical or medical care.

The liability and indemnification provision in particular should be reviewed carefully, as the template asks the client to indemnify and hold the doula harmless for certain liabilities and states that the doula is not responsible for hospital staff's actions or medical decisions.

Consider having a qualified local attorney review the completed agreement before using it with clients.

Due to the nature of digital products, all sales are final.