Doula Contract Generator

Build a clean, professional doula service agreement for your clients. Pick your services, fees, and terms, then print it or save a PDF to sign. Free, no signup, nothing saved.

Build Your Contract

This is a template, not legal advice. It gives you a plain-language starting point — have a local attorney review your agreement before you rely on it, especially the payment, cancellation, and liability terms.

A doula contract template that fills itself in

Skip the blank page and the copy-pasting. Answer a few questions about your services and terms, and we assemble a numbered agreement you can print and sign.

Set your terms

Choose birth, postpartum, or both; list what's included; and set your fee, deposit, on-call window, and cancellation policy. Everything is editable.

Get a clean agreement

Your answers become a numbered service agreement — Parties, Services, Fees, On-Call, Backup, Cancellation, Limitations, and signature lines.

Print or save as PDF

Print two copies to sign, or save a PDF to send your client. Then have a local attorney look it over before you use it.

Private by design: your answers build the page you see once, then they're discarded. Bornbir doesn't store your contract or ask for an email address.

What a doula contract should include

A good doula contract does two jobs: it sets clear expectations with your client, and it protects you when plans change. However you write yours, these are the sections families and doulas most often wish they'd nailed down in advance.

Parties and scope

Who the agreement is between, and exactly what kind of support you're providing — birth, postpartum, or both.

Services included

The specifics: prenatal visits, phone and text support, continuous labor support, postpartum follow-up. Listing them prevents the "I thought that was included" conversation later.

Fees and payment schedule

Your total fee or hourly rate, any deposit to reserve the date, and when the balance is due. A written schedule is what an invoice later references.

On-call period and backup

For birth work, the window you hold availability — commonly from around 37 to 38 weeks — and what happens if you're at another birth. A backup clause reassures clients that support won't fall through.

Cancellation and refunds

What each side owes if plans change. Most policies protect a non-refundable deposit and prorate the rest for services not yet rendered.

Scope and limitations

A plain statement that a doula provides non-medical physical, emotional, and informational support, and does not perform clinical tasks or make medical decisions. This section matters — keep it in.

Birth vs. postpartum: what changes

Birth doula contract

An on-call window, commonly starting around 37 to 38 weeks
Continuous support through active labor and birth
A backup doula plan for overlapping births
A deposit that reserves your due-date window

Postpartum doula contract

Scheduled shifts, daytime or overnight, rather than an on-call window
A weekly minimum of hours, if you set one
Feeding, newborn-care, and household support
How rescheduling and shift cancellations are handled

About this template

Bornbir is a marketplace where families find birth and postpartum providers. This generator is written and maintained by our team to give doulas a practical starting point. It is general guidance, not legal advice, and it hasn't been reviewed for the laws where you practice — have a local attorney review your agreement before you use it.

Doula contract questions, answered

What should a doula contract include?

A clear doula contract usually covers a handful of things: who the parties are, exactly which services are included, the fee and payment schedule, the on-call period for a birth doula, what happens if a backup doula is needed, and a cancellation and refund policy. Most also spell out the scope of support — that a doula provides non-medical physical, emotional, and informational support and does not perform clinical tasks. Putting these in writing protects both you and your client and heads off the awkward money and expectation conversations later.

How is a birth doula contract different from a postpartum doula contract?

The bones are the same, but the emphasis shifts. A birth doula agreement centers on an on-call window (commonly starting around 37 to 38 weeks), continuous labor support, and a backup plan in case you're at another birth. A postpartum doula agreement centers on scheduled shifts — daytime or overnight — a weekly minimum of hours, and the household and feeding support you'll provide. This generator lets you pick birth, postpartum, or both, and adjusts the language for you.

How do doula deposits and refunds usually work?

Practices vary widely by doula and region, so treat these as common patterns rather than rules. Many doulas take a deposit at signing to reserve the client's due-date window, and that deposit is often non-refundable because it holds availability others can't book. The remaining balance is commonly due before the birth — by around 36 weeks or at a final prenatal visit. Refunds for cancellations are usually prorated for services not yet rendered. Whatever you choose, write it down plainly so there are no surprises.

Is a doula contract legally binding?

A written service agreement that both parties sign is generally treated as a binding contract, but the details and enforceability depend on your state and situation. This tool produces a plain-language template to start from — it is not legal advice, and it hasn't been reviewed for the laws where you practice. Before you rely on it, have a local attorney review your agreement, especially the payment, cancellation, and liability sections.

Do I also need a doula invoice?

Often, yes. A contract sets the terms; an invoice requests a specific payment against those terms. Many doulas send a deposit invoice at signing and a balance invoice before the birth. You can keep it simple — client name, service dates, the amount owed, and how to pay — and reference this signed agreement on it. Some doulas add a short intake or client-information form alongside the contract to capture due dates, provider details, and emergency contacts.

When should the contract be signed?

Sign at the point you both commit — usually right after the consultation, when the client wants to reserve you and you've agreed on scope and fee. Signing early is what makes the deposit and on-call window meaningful. If you're bringing on a client late in pregnancy, it's still worth signing before your first working visit so the terms are settled before labor.

Ready for more doula clients?

List your services on Bornbir and connect with families near you who are looking for birth and postpartum support.

Get doula clients on Bornbir See what doula support costs