Postpartum doula work doesn't look like birth doula work, so the contract shouldn't either. Instead of one on-call period and a labor, you're booking shifts, often overnight, selling hours or packages, and working in a family's home for weeks. The agreement needs to cover all of that.
Below is a free postpartum doula contract you can copy or download as a Word document, with a guide to each section and the decisions to make before you fill it in.
The template
Replace everything in [brackets] and delete any section that doesn't apply.
POSTPARTUM DOULA SERVICE AGREEMENT
Template from cradledapp.com/guides/postpartum-doula-contract-template
This template is a starting point, not legal advice. Laws about contracts, deposits, refunds, employment, and privacy vary by state, province, and country. Have it reviewed by a lawyer where you practice before you use it with clients.
Replace everything in [BRACKETS]. Delete any section that doesn't apply.
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1. PARTIES
This agreement is between:
Doula: [Your name], [Business name], [Email], [Phone] ("the Doula")
Client: [Client name], [Email], [Phone] ("the Client")
Partner or support person (optional): [Name]
Home address where support will take place: [Address]
Baby's due date or date of birth: [Date]
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2. SERVICES INCLUDED
The Doula will provide non-medical postpartum support in the Client's home, which may include:
- support with feeding, burping, soothing, and newborn care;
- time for the Client to rest, shower, and eat;
- light household tasks related to the baby and the Client's recovery, such as baby laundry, washing bottles or pump parts, tidying the nursery, and preparing simple meals;
- time with older siblings while the Client focuses on the baby;
- emotional support, information, and referrals to other professionals when needed.
Services do not include: [e.g. heavy cleaning, care of other adults, pet care beyond basic needs, driving the baby without a parent].
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3. SCOPE OF PRACTICE
The Doula is not a medical professional and will not perform clinical or medical tasks, diagnose, or give medical advice. The Client is responsible for the medical care of themselves and their baby, and will keep their care providers informed. The Doula may suggest that the Client contact a care provider and will help them find information and resources.
[Choose one] The Doula will provide care while a parent is at home. / The Doula may care for the baby while parents are out, for up to [Hours], with written instructions and emergency contacts.
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4. PACKAGE AND FEES
Package: [Number] hours of support, to be used within [e.g. 12 weeks] of [the birth / the first shift].
Day rate: [Amount] per hour, with a minimum shift of [e.g. 3] hours.
Overnight rate: [Amount] per shift ([e.g. 10pm-6am]).
Additional hours beyond the package: [Amount] per hour.
Travel beyond [Distance]: [Amount].
a) Deposit: [Amount], due when this agreement is signed, and applied to [the first shifts / the package total]. The deposit is [non-refundable / refundable as described in section 8].
b) Balance: [paid in full before the first shift / paid weekly for the hours scheduled that week / paid in prepaid blocks of Number hours].
c) Accepted payment methods: [e.g. card, e-transfer, bank transfer, cash].
d) Late payment: if a payment is late by [Number] days, the Doula may pause scheduled shifts until it's paid.
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5. SCHEDULING AND CANCELLATIONS
a) Shifts are scheduled [e.g. one week ahead], based on the Doula's availability.
b) If the Client cancels a shift with less than [e.g. 24 hours'] notice, the shift is charged [in full / at Percentage].
c) If the Doula has to cancel a shift, the Doula will offer [a replacement time / a backup doula / no charge for that shift].
d) If the Doula is asked to stay past the end of a shift, extra time is charged at [Rate] in [e.g. 15-minute] increments.
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6. UNUSED HOURS
Hours not used within [Timeframe] [expire / can be transferred to Option / are refunded at Rate]. The Doula will remind the Client of their remaining hours [e.g. every two weeks].
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7. HEALTH AND SAFETY
a) Illness: if the Doula or anyone in the Client's home has a contagious illness, the shift will be rescheduled with no cancellation fee [or: according to section 5].
b) Safe environment: the Client will keep the home safe for the Doula to work in, including [e.g. pets secured as agreed, a smoke-free environment during shifts]. The Doula may end a shift early if they feel unsafe.
c) Safe sleep: the Doula follows current safe sleep guidelines and will not [e.g. bed-share with the baby or leave the baby in an unsafe sleep position].
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8. EMERGENCIES
In an emergency, the Doula will call local emergency services and then contact the Client and their emergency contact. The Doula is not responsible for providing medical care.
Emergency contact: [Name, phone]
Baby's care provider: [Name, phone]
Client's care provider: [Name, phone]
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9. ENDING THE AGREEMENT
Either party may end this agreement by writing to the other. If the Client ends it, [unused prepaid hours are refunded at Rate, minus the deposit / unused hours are not refunded]. If the Doula ends it for a reason that is not the Client's responsibility, the Doula will refund prepaid hours not yet used and, where possible, help the Client find other support.
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10. CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY
The Doula will keep the Client's personal information private and will not share it without the Client's consent, except where the law requires it (for example, if someone is at risk of serious harm). The Doula will store records securely and keep them for [Timeframe].
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11. PHOTOS AND SOCIAL MEDIA
The Doula will not take photos or video, or share any details of the family online, without the Client's written consent.
The Client [does / does not] consent to the Doula sharing a testimonial online, [with or without the Client's name].
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12. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
By signing, the Client confirms that they have read this agreement, had the chance to ask questions, and understand that the Doula provides non-medical support only.
This agreement is governed by the laws of [State / Province, Country].
SIGNATURES
Client: ______________________________ Date: ____________
[Client name]
Partner or support person (optional): ______________________ Date: ________
[Name]
Doula: ______________________________ Date: ____________
[Your name], [Business name]
If you also support births, use our birth doula contract template. It has a short postpartum addendum, but this agreement is the better fit when postpartum work is your main service.
What makes a postpartum doula contract different
- You sell time, not an event. Most postpartum doulas sell hourly support or packages of hours, so the contract needs rates, minimum shifts, and what happens to hours that aren't used.
- Overnights are their own thing. Night shifts usually have a flat rate and set hours. Spell them out separately.
- You're in someone's home for weeks. Safety, illness, pets, and what "light household tasks" means all need to be agreed in writing.
- Scheduling changes constantly. Newborn life is unpredictable, so cancellation and rescheduling terms matter more than for birth work.
What to include, section by section
1. Parties
Include the address where support happens and the baby's due date or birth date, so the timeline for using the package is clear.
2. Services included
List what you do and, just as important, what you don't. "Light household tasks" means different things to different families. Naming examples, like baby laundry, washing pump parts, or a simple meal, prevents awkward conversations later.
3. Scope of practice
You're not a medical provider, and the contract should say so plainly. Decide whether you'll care for the baby only while a parent is home, or also while parents step out, and put the limits in writing.
4. Package and fees
Set your day rate, minimum shift, overnight rate, and the window for using a package. Then decide how you'll be paid:
- Paid in full before the first shift, simplest for you;
- Paid weekly for the hours scheduled that week;
- Prepaid blocks of hours, topped up as they're used.
For example schedules, see how to set up doula payment plans.
5. Scheduling and cancellations
How far ahead shifts are booked, what late cancellations cost, what happens if you have to cancel, and how extra time past the end of a shift is charged. Late cancellations are the most common source of lost income in postpartum work, so make the terms clear and fair.
6. Unused hours
Packages often go partly unused when families find their feet sooner than expected. Decide whether hours expire, transfer to another service, or are refunded, and remind clients how many they have left.
7. Health and safety
Agree on what happens when someone is sick, your right to leave if you feel unsafe, pets, and smoke-free shifts. If you follow safe sleep guidelines (and you should), say so.
8. Emergencies
Write down the emergency plan and the contacts: an emergency contact, the baby's care provider, and the client's care provider.
9 to 12. Ending the agreement, confidentiality, photos, signatures
The same principles as a birth doula contract: refunds for unused prepaid time, privacy with legal exceptions, written consent for photos and testimonials, and signatures from everyone who's part of the agreement.
Common mistakes
- No minimum shift. Two-hour shifts with a long drive rarely make sense. Set a minimum.
- Vague household help. If it's not written down, "help around the house" can grow into housekeeping.
- No rule for unused hours. Without one, you'll end up negotiating it at the end of every package.
- No illness policy. Decide in advance so nobody feels pressured to work, or host, while sick.
- Lumping overnights in with day rates. Overnights are different work and should be priced separately.
Frequently asked questions
Do postpartum doulas need a contract?
Yes. A contract protects you and the family by setting expectations for hours, rates, scheduling, cancellations, and what's included, before anyone is sleep-deprived.
How do postpartum doulas charge?
Most charge hourly with a minimum shift, sell packages of hours, or both, with a separate rate for overnight shifts. Some ask for prepaid blocks of hours.
Should overnight shifts have a different rate?
Usually, yes. Overnight support is different work with set hours, so many postpartum doulas charge a flat rate per night.
Can I use one contract for birth and postpartum clients?
You can, with a postpartum addendum like the one in our birth doula contract template. If postpartum work is your main service, a dedicated agreement like this one is clearer.
Send it with Cradled
- E-signature from any device. Copy this agreement into a Cradled contract template. Clients sign from an emailed link with no account needed, or in the Cradled app, and a partner can co-sign.
- Deposits and weekly payment plans. Collect the deposit with a payment link, and charge a saved card weekly, every two weeks, or monthly.
- Support between shifts. Clients who use the Cradled app can share daily check-ins and their feeding timeline with you, so you arrive knowing how the last few days went.
- Running a team? Collective plans add postpartum care teams and overnight shift scheduling across your doulas.
Cradled is free for 1 active client at a time, with every feature included.