Postpartum Doula No-Surveillance Policy

​Let It Be Birth Perinatal Services, LLC prohibits the use of video surveillance of our doulas during overnight shifts for several reasons, all of which center on ensuring privacy, security, and building a nurturing environment for the family.

• Camera monitoring of our doulas while they work can make them feel as if they are not trusted. A doula’s role is to provide emotional support and infant care in an environment where everyone feels safe and relaxed. Introducing camera surveillance alters the dynamic and can make the doula feel uncomfortable, preventing the natural trust and connection needed for effective care. The presence of cameras can inadvertently shift the focus of the doula from the family’s needs to their concerns about being surveilled.
  
• Our doulas are highly skilled, trained and vetted care professionals who maintain strict confidentiality in our practice. By prohibiting cameras, Let It Be Birth ensures that the doula's actions and the family’s personal moments are not recorded, which could be potentially shared or used without consent. This policy helps maintain a professional boundary.
  
• If a family has a nanit or other video monitor that is pointed only at the baby’s sleeping space, we welcome that. This type of monitoring actually helps our doulas if they have access to that video feed so they can monitor baby when they step away to use the restroom, prepare bottles or wash pump parts.

This is a non-negotiable policy. Violation of this policy will result in termination of services. If a family feels strongly they need to record a doula during their shift in order to trust them, then they will be a better fit with another doula team. 

"The daycare we’ve chosen has a video feed we can access and see our baby at any point, why would cameras in our home be different?"
The type of camera surveillance in daycares is actually quite different. First, the feeds are under the control of the provider and both parties have access to the recordings.  Secondly, daycare feeds are primarily to help working parents be able to see their baby when they miss them.  With our service, you are still at home with your baby the entire time we are working. If you miss your baby, just come on in and have a snuggle! Lastly, even with the best night-vision technology, accurate surveillance in an entirely dark room is difficult. There is a lot of room for discrepancies with night monitoring. 

This doesn’t feel fair. I need to trust that the person taking care of my baby is doing things the right way...
There are better ways to build trust than to insist on constant video surveillance. Learning what steps we take in welcoming a doula onto our team, as well as reviewing the long list of positive reviews and asking for previous client referrals is a great place to start trusting us. We stand by our doulas and their expertise, and video monitoring of them does not foster a relationship built on mutual trust.