Awake Care, Cameras, Refunds: Clauses Every Doula Should Address in Their Contracts
Running a sustainable doula business requires more than compassionate care—it requires clear contracts. As doulas expand into postpartum, overnight, and in-home support, certain contract clauses have become essential for protecting both doulas and clients.
Three areas in particular are often overlooked or poorly defined: awake care, in-home cameras, and refund policies. Addressing these clearly in your doula contract can prevent misunderstandings, protect your safety, and help you maintain professional boundaries.
Why Contract Clarity Matters for Doulas
Doula work is intimate and emotionally demanding. Without clearly written agreements, doulas may find themselves navigating uncomfortable situations, unpaid labor, or unsafe working environments.
A strong doula contract:
Sets expectations from the start
Reduces conflict and miscommunication
Protects your time, labor, and personal safety
Helps clients understand the scope of your role
Let’s look at three clauses every doula should address in their contracts.
1. Awake Care: Defining Expectations and Rates
One of the most common sources of confusion in postpartum and overnight doula work is awake care.
Many clients assume that overnight support means the doula will remain awake the entire shift. Others expect the doula to sleep when the baby sleeps. Without explicit language, doulas may feel pressured to provide fully awake care without appropriate compensation.
Why an Awake Care Clause Is Essential
Awake care is significantly more demanding than standard overnight support. Remaining awake for an entire shift increases fatigue and impacts a doula’s ability to provide safe, attentive care over time.
Your contract should clearly state:
Whether the doula may sleep when the baby sleeps
What constitutes fully awake care
How awake care is billed (often at 1.5× the normal rate)
Clear language ensures clients understand the difference and allows doulas to set sustainable boundaries.
2. Cameras and Recording Devices in the Home
In-home postpartum care increasingly involves nanny cams, baby monitors, and security cameras. While these tools can offer parents peace of mind, undisclosed recording can raise serious privacy and safety concerns for doulas.
Why Camera Disclosure Matters
Doulas deserve transparency when working in private homes. Being recorded without consent can feel invasive and unsafe—especially in rest areas during overnight shifts.
A well-written doula contract should include:
A requirement that all cameras and recording devices be disclosed
Clear boundaries around camera placement
A prohibition on cameras in areas designated for doula rest or sleep
The doula’s right to discontinue services if undisclosed cameras are discovered
This clause protects professional boundaries while still respecting a family’s right to use monitoring tools appropriately.
3. Refunds, Cancellations, and Rescheduling Policies
Refund disputes are one of the most stressful issues doulas face—often because expectations weren’t clearly set from the beginning.
Without a written refund policy, doulas may feel pressured to issue refunds even when services were reserved, scheduled, or partially completed.
What to Include in a Refund Clause
Your doula contract should clearly outline:
Whether retainers are refundable or non-refundable
How cancellations are handled
Timeframes for rescheduling services
Circumstances under which refunds may or may not be issued
Some doulas include a rescheduling window (such as allowing services to be rescheduled within two weeks of cancellation) to offer flexibility without financial loss.
Clear refund policies protect your income while helping clients understand the value of reserved time and on-call availability.
Why These Clauses Protect Both Doulas and Clients
Addressing awake care, cameras, and refunds isn’t about being rigid—it’s about clarity.
When expectations are written clearly:
Clients feel informed and respected
Doulas feel safer and more confident
Conflicts are easier to resolve
Professional boundaries are maintained
These clauses also demonstrate professionalism and help elevate the doula industry as a whole.
Final Thoughts: Contracts Are Care, Too
Contracts are not just legal documents—they are tools of care. They protect the emotional, physical, and financial well-being of doulas so they can continue offering high-quality support to families.
If you’re offering postpartum, overnight, or in-home doula services, reviewing and updating your contract to include clauses on awake care, in-home cameras, and refunds is an essential step toward sustainability.
A clear contract allows you to show up rested, supported, and confident—exactly how your clients deserve you.
Ready to Strengthen Your Doula Contract?
If you don’t want to write contract language from scratch, you can start with professionally written sample contracts designed specifically for doulas.
You can download both a Birth Doula Contract and a Postpartum Doula Contract that already include clear clauses addressing:
Awake care and overnight expectations
In-home cameras and recording disclosure
Refunds, cancellations, and rescheduling
Communication boundaries, safety policies, and client responsibilities
✨ Save when you purchase both — there’s a built-in discount if you download the birth and postpartum doula contracts together.
👉 Download the Birth & Postpartum Doula Contracts here:
https://ctdoulas.com/store
A clear contract protects your time, your energy, and your livelihood—so you can focus on providing confident, sustainable doula care.
