S is for Scope

Much like doctors and therapists, doulas have a scope of practice that needs to be respected in order to keep all clients safe and happy. Unfortunately, the doula field isn’t quite regulated yet to find out if a doula is acting as a professional or not. This causes much of the population to be confused about what a doula actually does, and often gets us confused with midwives.

When doulas don’t act in scope, it can be dangerous for all parties involved. A doula acting in scope always has a great list of referrals for things that are not quite within our reach, and we at the NY Baby Co. are always happy to give that to you! But how would you know if a doula is acting in scope or not? Today, we want to give you a straightforward look at exactly what is in scope and out of scope for a doula.

A doula acting in scope always…

• Provides unbiased, nonjudgmental support
• Works in harmony with any care provider the client has picked
• Encourages all medical questions to be directed to the care provider
• Provides physical, emotional and educational support about the birth and postpartum period
• Encourage the client to have direct communication with their provider and ask questions.
• Respects the client at all times and understand that the client is always in the driver’s seat as far as decisions
• Uses and honors a contract
• Keeps all information about a client’s experiences confidential
• Refers out to other professionals when unable to personally help the client

A doula acting out of scope will…

• Have an agenda about the type of birth a family should pursue
• Give medical advice, and even sometimes come to the house with a Doppler and other medical tools.
• Use essential oils with no background
• Perform cervical checks and check blood pressure, fetal heart tones and positioning
• Bring food they prepared outside of the client’s home
• Do pressure points to induce labor without training in massage or acupressure
• Offer medical advice
• Diagnose the client
• Advocate for the client

We highly encourage all who are looking into hiring a doula to check and double check to make sure the doula they are hiring is a professional acting in scope, as all families deserve the BEST, and we want you to have the tools to get there. We assure you that NY Baby Co. is solely comprised of nonjudgmental, professional doulas who always act in scope. Give us a call today at 518-712-9767 to find out more information or set up a consultation!