When you message a client in Cradled, her partner (if she has one connected in the app) is in the thread with you by default. This is intentional — partners are usually the ones calling the doula at 3am — but mom can opt out at any time.
Why partners are included
In labor, mom is the patient, not the dispatcher. The partner is who's awake, watching contractions, asking when to come to the hospital. Cradled defaults to including them so the labor-mode trigger is one tap from the person actually holding the phone.
This is the wedge over Jane / generic care portals — care is bidirectional and includes the family unit, not just the individual chart.
When partners are NOT in the thread
- Mom has no connected partner in the app — only mom + you.
- Mom has toggled partner off for this specific conversation. Care tab → CP card → settings icon → "Include partner". Once toggled off, partner can no longer see new messages and is removed from old messages on their end. Mom can re-enable any time.
A small indicator at the top of the thread ("Partner included" / "Partner not in thread") shows which mode you're in.
What the partner sees
Same thread, same content, same notification routing. The labor button on their phone fires the same way mom's does. Whichever of them is awake can trigger labor mode.
What you see
You see exactly one thread per client, regardless of whether the partner is in or out. Messages from mom are tagged with her name; messages from partner are tagged with theirs. You don't need to track separate conversations.
Privacy considerations
This is her call, not yours. Don't push back if she opts to exclude the partner — she may have reasons (separation, abuse, surprise reveal, just wanting privacy with you). The toggle is hers.