At Little Lilacs, we want to be completely transparent regarding any review we receive that indicates we did not provide the standard of care and support we stand by. Below is the full communication related to the review so that those concerned may review how the situation was handled and make an informed decision. We love what we do and are so proud to do it. After over 6 years and hundreds of clients, these are few and far between.

We have included all the details for your review, but through this whole situation my role is to look at the situation as a whole and ensure that the doula did not breech her contract with her client. In this insistence, per all the conversation threads between clients and doula, all the email exchanges, the attached signed contract with the highlighted areas, the expectations as clearly communicated in the contract, of the doula were fulfilled given the extenuating circumstance.

One of the most important elements of communication from the initial consultation and through every element of support are the details communicated within the contract. The contract requires clients to sign after each section to ensure that have read and agree to the statements. In addition, at the very end of the contract, we include a line that states “I have read this entire contract describing LLBS and agree to enter into a client-doula relationship for the pregnancy and birth with Estimated Due Date”

The beginning of communication with client’s husband began the morning of Wednesday, February 16th regarding the “request” for a refund. Immediately into the conversation, Stephen communicated “Here is how this will work, you will provide us with the refund by Thursday, otherwise I will leave a negative review and dispute charges.”

Since communication is the most important thing, I attempted to discuss the contract in further detail so that we could find if there was a breach of contract on the doulas part. It was unfortunate that the conversation could not proceed further as the only thing Stephen wanted to state was the demand for refund or negative review headlined “doula did not show up”. The conversation ended with the graciousness of Stephen offering until Friday to make a wise decision or else…

Later into the evening the same day I received an email from Catie, along with an email from Stephen. Both of these emails have been included, as well as the full string of texts and communication between client, husband and doula. Along with all my responses. This is to be as transparent as possible.

Below includes the details for the review:

The greatest of all is, just as the headline is portrayed, that the doula did not show up to the birth. First, you will see all the communication with the client, where several times it is stated, they were not ready or did not need her yet. With then no further communication.

Though the doula was still at another birth, it would have been appropriate for her to continue to reach out throughout the evening to check in, even though it was noted they were resting. During the call, Stephen expressed the lack of communication following that point around 7pm because he was focused on his wife and did not have the time to update the doula. As we explain in the prenatal along with as you see in the highlighted portion of the contract, is that the doula must be requested and then provided an hour or two to get to the client. We also state that in the event a doula is not available (due to being at another birth) a backup will be provided.

These clients were aware that their primary doula was with another client, as mentioned earlier on when communication first began. This is an important fact regarding later statements.

Another element, that I understand the client is upset about is not getting to use a TENs unit. Per our contract, access to TENs units are limited in quantity. Many times, doulas have approximately one to two units as clients receive them in the on-call window and then are handed off to the next client closet to their due date in the on-call window following the previous client’s delivery. So, it does produce the unfortunate circumstance in cases as such when client’s delivery weeks earlier than the on-call window. But again, something from the very beginning that is communicated is the limited quantity.

Since the TENs unit Demi had immediate access to was being used by the current client she was with, she made sure to reach out to the whole team (in our GROUPME) regarding getting the client a TENs unit. She then followed up regarding the inability to get a TENs for them but ensured to communicate that as soon as she was done with the client she currently was with, that she would bring them the TENs unit even if they were not ready for her to stay and support.

You will see the note that they were waiting for the doula to just show up, when she communicated that above “I cannot find one but when I am done here, even if y’all are not ready for me I will bring it up there.” This holds another portion where the husband stated in the second email why they were entitled to the refund.

“The doula clearly stated that she was going to come weather we were ready for her or not. At that point I should not have needed to keep her updated, as support was supposedly in-bound. I was waiting for a 'hey I'm here' so we could - at minimum - get the tens machine in the room. I understand she was at another birth. The correct thing would be to get us support from another doula, or give us some indication that she was having trouble getting in. Instead, we just told her that we had delivered the baby 12 hours after she said she was coming to the hospital.”

It is easy to read that first line alone, but when put into the full message, as highlighted above is that text is in context to bringing the TENs. There was no indication that she was on her way – the words “when I am done here” clearly states she is with the client still. And the response was that they were good and resting.

As I stated to Stephen, it would have been appropriate fort the doula to have reached out in the night to check on them. But birth is unpredictable in so many ways. The last thing the doula received was that they were resting. It is not uncommon in the elements that had occurred in their birth for labor to have slowed down, decide to rest and review options in the morning. Again, the only communication the doula received was the client was at 1-1.5 cm. Well within the norm of early stages of labor, when as it is started in the contract, is when initial phone support will be provided. This does require communication on part of the client or their birth partner.

As birth can be unpredictable in one way it can be unpredictable in the other, which we often call a precipitous birth, which involves labor happening so fast that there was not time to communicate or request the doula, or the doula was not able to get there in time, we include in our contract (also highlighted) that should this occur, the doula will provide immediate postpartum support. Again, per Stephen’s communication things picked up so fast that he could not manage the doula or communicate with her regarding an update or requesting her to come.

Sometimes when clients experience precipitous birth, or their birth changes as these clients experienced, or they make a change to their birth plan such as getting an epidural, it can seem as though a doula is no longer needed to provide support. And the decision may be made to no longer reach out to the doula. It may also be presumed that because that there were changes, or things did not go as planned, and they did not have the doula come that a refunded should be warranted. And though, I would not want to make such an assumption in this case, it also cannot be ruled out due to the lack of communication.

So, ultimately it comes down to why did we not issue a refund. And as I communicated, my role is to look at the situation as a whole and ensure that the doula did not breech her contract with her client. In this insistence, per all the conversation threads between clients and doula, all the email exchanges, the attached signed contract with the highlighted areas, the expectations as clearly communicated in the contract, of the doula were fulfilled given the extenuating circumstance.

Text communications between doula and clients.