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Code of Ethics
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Propriety - The doula should maintain high standards in the way they present themselves both personally and professionally while working as a birth doula.
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Continuing Education - The doula should commit to professional development each year (and will be required to maintain certification) to ensure she remains proficient in the professional practice.
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Client Support - The doula’s primary responsibility is to their client and ensuring they have the necessary information to make informed decisions.
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Confidentiality - The doula should respect the privacy of clients, their personal information, and their stories.
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Obligation to Serve - If the doula cannot offer adequate support, an appropriate referral will be made. If support cannot be maintained with a current client, the client will be connected with another doula for support.
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Fee for Services - The doula will ensure fees are set in respect to services offered. Fees, terms of payment and refund policies must be clearly outlined.
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Respect for Colleagues - The doula should treat colleagues with respect, courtesy, and act in good faith. The doula community is a small community. Doulas should always work to support and build each other up. The doula should compensate her colleague fairly if back-up support is required.
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Integrity - within the Profession Each doula represents all doulas through her work at various birthing locations, with various providers, and with her clients. She should uphold values, ethics and knowledge within the birth space.
Standards of Practice
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Doula Services Provided - The doula’s role is to provide emotional, physical, educational, and advocacy support to the birthing person (and provide suggestions to the partner if applicable) prenatally, during birth, and the postpartum visit.
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Limits - A certified doula through Beheld does NOT perform medical or clinical tasks, including but not limited to: cervical exams, taking and recording vitals, prescribing medications, or acting as a medical provider in any way. Doulas with additional certifications including massage therapy, chiropractic care, homeopathy, midwifery, nursing, etc must make it clear to their client that those modalities are additional services and outside the doula’s scope of practice. These alternative providers may not refer to themselves as doulas while providing care outside of the doula’s scope. Doula support is non-medical.
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Advocacy - It is the commitment of the doula to learn the birthing preferences of each client through their prenatal visits, education, and support facilitating conversations with medical providers as necessary during pregnancy, birth or the postpartum period. It is NOT just about setting the client up to be able to advocate for themselves; it is also the responsibility of the doula to have the ability to step in and advocate as necessary.
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Referrals - For client needs outside of the doula’s scope of care, the doula provides appropriate referrals in the community.
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Continuity of Care - Continuous support is the name of the game in doula work. If the primary doula cannot be there for any reason, it is in their responsibility to provide a back-up doula for their client.
Beheld Grievance Form
An ethics claim is a formal objection submitted against a Beheld Certified Doula when the doula is alleged to have violated Beheld’s Standards of Practice and/or Code of Ethics. A claim may be submitted by anyone — including but not limited to the client, the client’s partner or family, a nurse, the client’s care provider, a hospital administrator, another doula, a Beheld Certified Doula, or it may be initiated by the Beheld leadership team.
If the reported concern does not involve a potential violation of the Beheld Standards of Practice or Code of Ethics by a Beheld Certified Doula, it is not considered an ethics claim. In that case, it remains, by definition, a complaint about the doula rather than an ethics matter.
An incident is any potentially negative event or situation arising during pregnancy or birth that involves the Beheld Certified Doula in their role as a provider. An incident report may be submitted to the Beheld founders by the doula involved or by another party.
Please provide as much detail as possible when submitting an ethics claim, complaint, or incident. A member of the Beheld leadership team will respond.