Cliff notes below.
Edit for clarity: we hired a doula (not a midwife). We are by all means going to the hospital. We are not and were not going to do it at home.
Here's the story: we are expecting a baby, and a due date is coming up fast (in a week or so). Since it's our first, and my wife is uneasy about the labor, we decided to hire a doula. Interviewed a couple of women who do it for a living, and settled down with one of them. They all charge in $900 - $1k range. Deposit is $300, and $600-700 due 3 weeks before the due date. We paid it all in full, and that's when troubles began.
Doula promised she'd go to a doctor with my wife whenever her next check-up will be. It's not part of the contract, but she advertised this as what she does 'extra', and hence we picked her. Now, Thursday night before the appointment she calls us and says: 'sorry, can't come - a another client of mine is in labor'. Fine. Doulas pick up to 2 ppl per month, so that due dates don't conflict, so it's all understandable. Friday my wife goes to the doctor, and schedules a next appointment. Calls the doula and leaves a message asking to call back. Doula does not call back until Monday. We think it's because she just took a long weekend, and not because someone was giving birth.
Yesterday night (night before another doctor appointment) doula calls again: can't make it - another client is in labor. I said: wtf, she is not supposed to have anyone else, someone is lying here. So, I called her back and had a very polite conversation asking what's going on: is she going to pull the same trick when my wife goes in labor? She explained last time she was substituting someone else, and this time it's her real client. And that she's not supposed to go to the doctor, but don't worry, she'll do it. All was well, so I said: ok, sorry, thanks.
This morning she calls my wife and starts complaining how I emotionally unsettled her, and she has a sick baby, yada-yada. And that she makes so many sacrifices in her personal life being a doula. She's paid for it, she chose the job, damn it. Then she starts talking about the possibility of having a backup doula for us, because she wants to go to Tahoe at the end of March! WTF! She knew all along she'd go to Tahoe for spring break with her kids, yet she signed the contract with us. The contract says there could be a backup doula in case of emergency (she gets sick, or smth else). There's no emergency here - she just wants to go for a vacation...
Now, technically, she has not violated anything in her contract yet, but her attitude towards fulfilling her promises really worries me. Don't know what to do.
Cliff notes:
1. Hired doula
2. She starts backing out of her promises
3. Technically, contract has not been violated
4. The situation sucks overall.
Edit for clarity: we hired a doula (not a midwife). We are by all means going to the hospital. We are not and were not going to do it at home.
Here's the story: we are expecting a baby, and a due date is coming up fast (in a week or so). Since it's our first, and my wife is uneasy about the labor, we decided to hire a doula. Interviewed a couple of women who do it for a living, and settled down with one of them. They all charge in $900 - $1k range. Deposit is $300, and $600-700 due 3 weeks before the due date. We paid it all in full, and that's when troubles began.
Doula promised she'd go to a doctor with my wife whenever her next check-up will be. It's not part of the contract, but she advertised this as what she does 'extra', and hence we picked her. Now, Thursday night before the appointment she calls us and says: 'sorry, can't come - a another client of mine is in labor'. Fine. Doulas pick up to 2 ppl per month, so that due dates don't conflict, so it's all understandable. Friday my wife goes to the doctor, and schedules a next appointment. Calls the doula and leaves a message asking to call back. Doula does not call back until Monday. We think it's because she just took a long weekend, and not because someone was giving birth.
Yesterday night (night before another doctor appointment) doula calls again: can't make it - another client is in labor. I said: wtf, she is not supposed to have anyone else, someone is lying here. So, I called her back and had a very polite conversation asking what's going on: is she going to pull the same trick when my wife goes in labor? She explained last time she was substituting someone else, and this time it's her real client. And that she's not supposed to go to the doctor, but don't worry, she'll do it. All was well, so I said: ok, sorry, thanks.
This morning she calls my wife and starts complaining how I emotionally unsettled her, and she has a sick baby, yada-yada. And that she makes so many sacrifices in her personal life being a doula. She's paid for it, she chose the job, damn it. Then she starts talking about the possibility of having a backup doula for us, because she wants to go to Tahoe at the end of March! WTF! She knew all along she'd go to Tahoe for spring break with her kids, yet she signed the contract with us. The contract says there could be a backup doula in case of emergency (she gets sick, or smth else). There's no emergency here - she just wants to go for a vacation...
Now, technically, she has not violated anything in her contract yet, but her attitude towards fulfilling her promises really worries me. Don't know what to do.
Cliff notes:
1. Hired doula
2. She starts backing out of her promises
3. Technically, contract has not been violated
4. The situation sucks overall.
