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.
Five Essential Components of the Community Based Doula Model:
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.
Positive Outcomes
Community-Based Doula Programs improve infant health, strengthen families,
and establish supports to ensure ongoing family success.
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.
Black or African American Mothers - Community Based Doula Participants
- PRAMS
- Community Based Doula Participants
- PRAMS
Hispanic Mothers - Community Based Doula Participants
- PRAMS
- Community Based Doula Participants
- PRAMS
Community-Based Doula Stories
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New: HC One Issue Brief: Creating Policy for Equitable Doula Access
We are thrilled to announce the release of the HealthConnect One (HC One) Issue Brief: Creating Policy for Equitable Doula Access. It’s very exciting that communities and states across the country are looking at doula access. We think it’s really important that we talk about what is a doula and what’s a community-based doula
October 24, 2019 -
Pure CHW Awesomeness in South Carolina
by Amber Pendergraph, Community-Based Doula with BirthMatters Talk about Pure Awesomeness! I recently had the honor of being grandfathered into a Community Health Worker (CHW) course. The course was followed by a certification exam to become a certified community health worker for South Carolina! The training I attended was facilitated by Julie Smithwick. I thoroughly
July 2, 2019
Contact our National Program Director to discuss
how this model can work in your community:
404.798.7718