(1) Jails must make reasonable accommodations for the provision of available midwifery or doula services to inmates who are pregnant or who have given birth in the last six weeks. Persons providing midwifery or doula services must be granted appropriate facility access, must be allowed to attend and provide assistance during labor and childbirth where feasible, and must have access to the inmate’s relevant health care information, as defined in RCW 70.02.010, if the inmate authorizes disclosure.

Terms Used In Washington Code 70.48.135

  • delivery: means the actual, constructive, or attempted transfer from one person to another of medication whether or not there is an agency relationship. See Washington Code 70.48.020
  • Health care: means preventive, diagnostic, and rehabilitative services provided by licensed health care professionals and/or facilities; such care to include providing prescription drugs where indicated. See Washington Code 70.48.020
  • Labor: means the period of time before a birth during which contractions are of sufficient frequency, intensity, and duration to bring about effacement and progressive dilation of the cervix. See Washington Code 70.48.020
(2) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(a) “Doula services” are services provided by a trained doula and designed to provide physical, emotional, or informational support to a pregnant woman before, during, and after delivery of a child. Doula services may include, but are not limited to: Support and assistance during labor and childbirth; prenatal and postpartum education; breastfeeding assistance; parenting education; and support in the event that a woman has been or will become separated from her child.
(b) “Midwifery services” means medical aid rendered by a midwife to a woman during prenatal, intrapartum, or postpartum stages or to a woman’s newborn up to two weeks of age.
(c) “Midwife” means a midwife licensed under chapter 18.50 RCW or an advanced registered nurse practitioner licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW.
(3) Nothing in this section requires governing units to establish or provide funding for midwifery or doula services, or prevents the adoption of policy guidelines for the delivery of midwifery or doula services to inmates. Services provided under this section may not supplant health care services routinely provided to the inmate.
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