Scope of Practice

Doula Scope of Practice

Purpose

A Community Perinatal Doula delivers non-clinical, culturally responsive emotional, physical comfort, and informational support from pregnancy through postpartum, decreasing access barriers and enhancing continuity of care. Doulas bolster health literacy, parenting competency, client confidence, and advocacy capabilities while respecting client autonomy.

Scope of Services

Prenatal Phase: childbirth education, emotional assistance, birth planning guidance, appointment preparation support, and connection to community resources and practical navigation help.

Labor and Birth: continuous labor support, comfort techniques, coping strategies, communication assistance, informed consent reinforcement, partner support, and emotional care following unexpected outcomes.

Postpartum and Early Parenting: recovery education, self-care planning, newborn care guidance (soothing, sleep, bathing), and non-clinical feeding support including positioning and comfort suggestions, normal feeding patterns, and confidence-building.

Communication and Advocacy Support: helping clients prepare for appointments, formulate questions, and communicate preferences while maintaining client autonomy.

Referral and Escalation: connecting clients to OB/midwife, pediatric, mental health, and lactation services when needs exceed doula scope.

Out of Scope

Doulas cannot provide medical advice, perform clinical tasks, manage emergencies, replace licensed providers, or serve as medical interpreters.