Kaiser Doula Support Agreement

Agreement with Heather Charmatz

Available Services:

Prenatal Sessions: Zoom birth preferences prenatal sessions to be scheduled at mutually agreed-upon times prior to the anticipated birth.  Scheduled during weekday daytime hours (between 8am-4pm). The comfort measures session is done in your home.

Daytime Birth Support: Up to eight (8) hours of labor and birth support, provided during daytime hours between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., as Heather’s availability permits. Daytime birth support is not guaranteed and is contingent upon Heather's availability. Heather is in nursing school and unable to miss clinical and class time.

Immediate Post-Birth Support: Up to three (3) hours of in-person support immediately following birth, provided during daytime hours as Heather’s availability permits. Immediate post-birth support is not guaranteed and is contingent upon Heather’s availability.

One Post-Birth Support session provided in your home: One visit of up to 3 hours of in-person support in your home. Two in-home postpartum session provided if no birth support is provided.

1. Scope of Services

Doulas provide non-medical prenatal, birth, and postpartum support, which may include emotional support, education, preparation for postpartum recovery and newborn care, and practical guidance and resources.

Heather does not provide medical care, diagnosis, treatment, or clinical advice. All medical decisions remain the responsibility of the Client and their healthcare providers.

As your doula, Heather Charmatz is committed to providing non-medical support. What Heather does not do as a doula:

• Perform clinical tasks such as blood pressure, fetal heart checks, or vaginal exams.

• Make decisions for you. Heather will help you get the information necessary to make an informed decision.

• Communicate with the clinical staff directly on your behalf regarding matters where decisions are being made. Heather will discuss concerns with you and suggest options.

The vast majority of the time doulas work seamlessly with the medical staff and are welcomed and loved as a vital part of the team. We work hard to build and maintain strong and positive relationships with the hospital providers. Occasionally, clients get assigned a nurse or provider that is not doula friendly and in these rare instances we request that you ask for a doula friendly provider. 

Service area includes San Francisco Kaiser Only.

Please keep Heather informed via text of early labor signs. This enables Heather to make the necessary personal arrangements to attend your labor as soon as possible. Heather may require up to 90-120 minutes of preparation/travel time once you’ve requested her presence.

2. Required Sessions

A minimum of two prenatal sessions are required prior to birth.

These required sessions ensure the Client is adequately prepared and allow Heather to reserve availability for a limited number of clients.

Failure to complete the required sessions prior to birth may result in no additional support being provided, at Heather’s discretion.

No materials may be screenshotted or shared in any format or under any circumstances without expressed written consent from Heather Charmatz.

3. Fees & Payment

There is a one out-of-pocket fee for doula support. Kaiser has strict rules about what they do and do not cover for doula support and unfortunately they don’t fully cover our provided services (on-call time, administrative time for billing, etc).

To reserve services, the Client agrees to pay a one-time, non-refundable $550 retainer fee for non-billable doula support. Payment is due with this signed contract.

Payment Methods:
Venmo, Zelle, or Apple Cash
Phone number: 415-830-7501

The retainer fee is not a guarantee of usage. The fee is non-refundable regardless of service utilization or scheduling changes. The full fee is non-refundable for any reason, even if you choose not to use doula services or change birth plans in any way. If your situation requires planning a cesarean birth or pandemic mandates alter doula support in the hospital, the fee will remain the same.

4. No-Show & Attendance Policy

If the Client no-shows to any scheduled doula appointments, Heather may decide to terminate doula support services.

A no-show is defined as missing an appointment without prior communication or cancellation. This policy exists to protect availability for actively engaged clients.

5. Postpartum Support & Availability

One 3-hour postpartum support session may be provided in your home subject to Heather’s availability. Heather aims to schedule the session within 10 days of the birth. If Heather is not at the birth, the client needs to contact Heather within 24 hours of the birth to permit availability. Sessions are booked on a first come first serve basis and clients that don’t promptly communicate will have less availability offered.

6. Service Area for In-Person Postpartum Support

In-person postpartum sessions may be limited to the following areas depending on Heather’s availability:

• San Francisco

• Southern Marin, including Mill Valley and Sausalito.

7. Communication Expectations

The Client agrees to maintain reasonable communication, notify the Doula of scheduling changes or needs in a timely manner, and understand that response times may vary, particularly during postpartum periods.

8. Illness Policy

The health and safety of both the Client family and Doula are a priority.

• If the Doula experiences illness or symptoms that may pose a risk, in-person support will be rescheduled or converted to virtual support.

• If the Client or household members are ill, the Doula must be notified as soon as possible. In-person sessions will be rescheduled or provided virtually at the Doula’s discretion.

Illness-related changes do not entitle the Client to a refund of the non-refundable retainer fee.

9. Limitation of Liability

The Client understands that the Doula does not replace medical providers and shall not be held liable for outcomes related to pregnancy, birth, or postpartum recovery.

10. Termination of Services

Either party may terminate this Agreement at any time. The non-refundable retainer fee will not be returned upon termination.

11. Electronic Signature & Agreement Validity

This Agreement may be signed electronically. Electronic signatures are considered legally binding and have the same effect as original handwritten signatures.

By signing electronically, the Client acknowledges that they have read, understood, and agree to all terms and policies outlined in this Agreement. A copy of this signed Agreement may be maintained electronically.