Anyone have a good sheet detailing the "rules" for your clients?

[onetwoten]

Does anyone have a doc they'd like to share detailing common practices for your clients-- ie Please call my cell phone first before the home line. Please keep non-emergent calls to between 8am-9pm. Included are 3 prenatal visits, and 1 postpartum visit, etc etc. My husband feels like I should have this all specifically written down, but I can't think of how to word it properly. I have most of it in my contract, but obviously that's not the place for things like how to contact me best. 

[SilaMarila]

I give them a separate document "When to Call the Doula" that details instructions on how and when to get a hold of me. Are you DONA trained? There was an example of a sheet like this in my DONA binder, but I'm not sure if that was something my instructor added?

I have the details of what my services provide (how many prenatal mtgs ect) written up in my contract and I make sure to explain in detail and answer questions so that everyone understands what I do and don't do.

[onetwoten]

OOh, that's a good way of wording it, that doesn't make it sound catty. I've been writing and rewriting it, and I obviously don't want clients to feel afraid of contacting me if I word it less than friendly!! On the other hand, I've also had clients that called for every. little. tiny. thing. And it really became an intrusion on my personal space and time. 

I was DONA trained, didn't certify. I should check through my binder. I didn't even think of that. 

[MandiTheDoula]

That's a really good idea! My first client was a good friend, but she frequently needed something or other. I didn't mind though, since we were so close and I assumed that she was asking for things as a friend, not as a client. Although I was her primary doula, she also had another (more experienced) doula as well. A couple of days before she gave birth, we were discussing my business. She advised me not to share with my clients that my daughter was so young (she was five months old at the time). When I asked her why, she said that if we hadn't been friends, she wouldn't have hired me because she wouldn't want to take me from my daughter. After discussing how this was my job and how I really enjoyed it, etc she told me about how often she had called the other doula. Holy crap! Apparently she had called this woman three to four times per week from the time she was 36 or 37 weeks until the she delivered at 41+4!!! She asked her to bring her herbals (RRLT, EPO, cohosh, etc), teach her infant massage, go for walks with her to get labor started, attend several midwife appointments, etc!

Since then, I've been dreading having a client like that. Can you ladies give me any tips on what to put in my "When to call your doula" document and/or what to do if I come across another client like that? I really enjoy birth and babies and I'd be happy to help a client with some things, but I think I'd be very tense if I ever had a client who called me that often and expected me to come to her home (30 minutes away!) that often... Thoughts?