Community Based Doula programs in the United States

This is the power of peer-to-peer support!

Community-based doulas dramatically increase breastfeeding rates and decrease c-section rates – by providing extended, intensive peer-to-peer support to families throughout pregnancy, during labor and birth, and into the early postpartum period. They are a mitigating factor for maternal mortality, and for many other risks to birthing families, particularly in low-income communities and communities of color.

The Community-Based Doula Program Model succeeds because doulas are of and from the same community as their clients and are able to bridge language and cultural barriers for optimal health and well-being. This is the only home visiting program model in the U.S. in which a home visitor is present at the birth.

Would you like to talk about how this program might look in your community, or how it might integrate into your organization’s existing programs?

National Recognition

The Community-Based Doula Program is featured in the 2018 Home Visiting Yearbook published by the National Home Visiting Resource Center, and was recognized as a Best Practice by the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) in 2016.

2018 Home Visiting Yearbook

Best Practice (AMCHP)

Five Essential Components of the Community Based Doula Model:

Employ women who are trusted members of the target community

Extend and intensify the role of doula with families from early pregnancy through the first months postpartum

Collaborate with community stakeholders/institutions and use a diverse team approach

Facilitate experiential learning using popular education techniques and the HC One training curriculum

Value the doulas’ work with salary, supervision and support

The impacts of HC One and the community-based doula model are transformative. Being with a woman as she transitions into a mother and demonstrating that you care for her as she cares for her baby, is the greatest gift we can give new parents. Supporting and modeling to community members how to share their gifts through love and advocacy to build a stronger community is the greatest contribution we can make to each other. There is no greater work in our communities than building stronger families and advocating for the health and wellness of the youngest members, and that is exactly what is impressive about HC One.

Cheryl Hunter

Author of Understanding Doulas and Childbirth: Women, Love, and Advocacy, New York: Palgrave Macmillan

Positive Outcomes

Community-Based Doula Programs improve infant health, strengthen families,
and establish supports to ensure ongoing family success.

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Improved prenatal care

Increased breastfeeding rates

Fewer medical interventions

Fewer c-section deliveries

Increased parent-child interaction

More positive birth experiences

Improved parenting skills

Community-Based Doulas and Breastfeeding Duration

The breastfeeding rates of mothers served by a Community-Based Doula Program are astounding. Not only do mothers breastfeed, they also breastfeed for much longer than what is typically seen in similar populations. According to The Perinatal Revolution, breastfeeding duration among both Black and Hispanic mothers served by community-based doulas were significantly higher than PRAMS benchmarks.