Throughout time, women have accompanied and supported other women during labor and childbirth. As a doula, I work with expectant mothers during labor and delivery to help ensure a satisfying birth experience. I provide emotional support, physical comfort, and information to help you make informed decisions about your care as questions, or concerns arise during pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum periods. I can provide reassurance and perspective to you and your partner, suggestions for labor progress, and help with relaxation, breathing, positioning, coping techniques, and comfort measures.
I am independent and self-employed. As your doula, I work for you, not your care provider or hospital. All information provided to me is kept in the upmost confidentiality unless there is potential harm to yourself or your baby. It is not my place to judge you or question your choices.
I customarily meet with my clients for a 1-2 hour prenatal meeting during your pregnancy to understand your needs, desires, and concerns and to provide information, resources for support, and referrals to help you reach your goals. It is very important that you and your partner are comfortable with me and with my role in the birth. I am also available to you throughout your pregnancy by phone or email, for any questions or issues that may arise. It is important to me that you feel that you can contact me for support and information whenever you need it, however, please reserve calls to the hours of 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM, except for urgent or emergency situations. If I do not answer right away, I will get back to you as soon as I can.
I also require to know of your meetings with your midwife or your doctor to ensure I'm up to date with all relevant details throughout the pregnancy. Some of my plans include transportation and I will need advanced notice for this. When you think labor has begun, please contact me as soon as possible, even If you are not sure whether you are really in labor. The more notice I have, the better prepared I can be. Once you confirm that you are in labor, I will plan to check in with you every hour until you decide at what point you want me to come and be with you. Prior to the birth, I would like to help you create your birth plan, including your preferences regarding labor management options and the use of pain medications. I also want to learn about your vision for coping with pain, fatigue, and how you and your support person foresee working together, and with me.
I have a backup doula that I use in instances where the labor goes beyond 24 hours, I'm attending another birth, or an emergency arises that I'm not able to be there. I will arrange for you to meet the backup doula in case this ever happens.
After the birth, I generally remain with a client for 1-2 hours or until you are comfortable and your family is ready for quiet time. Each situation and birth is different and my duties will vary depending on your needs. My services include postpartum visits, the first being within a few days after the birth. During the visits, I take an overall assessment, provide breastfeeding support, baby care tips, referrals to community resources and a chance to discuss your birth experience. I will also provide any photos taken upon your request and permission.
As a doula, I will:
- Provide physical comfort, emotional support, encouragement, and information.
- Help you create a birth plan and help you stay as close to it as possible.
- Provide information and resources so that you can make your informed decisions regarding your care.
- Answer your questions or help you get your questions answered.
- Support the decisions you make about your birth.
- Provide you with resources in print, email, text, online, or video.
As a doula, I will not:
- Make decisions for you. I will help you get the information necessary to make informed decisions.
- Speak to the medical staff on your behalf. I will discuss your concerns with you, help you understand your options, and identify key questions that may help you make informed decisions.
- Perform clinical tasks, such as taking blood pressure, listening for fetal heart tones, or performing vaginal exams. I am not a medical professional.
- Diagnose or treat any medical problems that may arise. In the event of an extremely rapid labor or emergency situation, I will call 911. In the event of an emergency delivery, I will do what I am capable of to keep you and your baby safe and comfortable until medical help arrives.
My fee for the services described here can be paid via cash, checks payable to Renee' Binne, Paypal, Venmo, CashApp, HSA Cards, and Point of Sale. I have a Federal Tax ID and will provide receipts for all payments made. I believe that all women should have access to labor support regardless of income, and I am willing to accommodate the financial restrictions of my clients, if arranged in advance. Payment can be divided into multiple payments and I will also accept monthly payments as well. Because I provide services for low income and do not request retainer fees and spread out payments, any payments made to me are non-refundable. Please explore all of your options and wait until you are sure of your decision before asking for a commitment from me.
I will make every possible effort to provide the services described here. Sometimes this is impossible (for example, with an extremely rapid labor or an emergency). If I (and/or my back-up doula) fail to make it to your birth due to our error, the remainder of your fee will be forgiven. If I miss your birth because you neglected to notify me, the full balance will be owed because of the commitment I made when scheduling for your birth month (turning other possible clients away). Occasionally medical circumstances, over which I have no control, necessitate a deviation from your birth plan. In such a case, full payment will still be required.
Release of Liability:
I/We understand that during the performance period of this contract, service may be provided to me/us in my/our home, traveling to a medical facility, hospital, birthing class, and/or birth center. I/We understand that Renee' Binne bears no responsibility or liability for my medical care, my child’s medical care, or our treatment by our healthcare providers and hospital staff during my pregnancy, labor, birth, or postpartum periods. Therefore, in consideration of the above, I/We (both jointly and separately) on behalf of ourselves, our heirs, administrators, personal representatives, executors, assign to release and forever discharge Renee' Binne from all damages or causes of action, either at law or in equity, as a result of any doula services provided. I/we intend this to be a compete release and discharge of Renee' Binne from all liability whatsoever. I/we fully realize that I/we are signing a complete release and bar to any claim, which I/we have or believe I/we have resulting form our contract for doula services.
I/We have read the above Letter of Agreement for Doula Services with Renee' Binne and agree to the terms within.